NAPTIP Clarifies No Reports of Organ Harvesting in Akwa Ibom, Calls for Public Awareness
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Akwa Ibom State Command, has refuted recent media reports suggesting incidents of organ harvesting in the state. In a statement issued on Tuesday, NAPTIP clarified that there have been no confirmed cases of organ harvesting in any hospital or clinic within Akwa Ibom.
The statement, titled ‘Clarification on Misrepresentations regarding NAPTIP’s Presentation at the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Press Briefing’, was signed by Ben Essang on behalf of the Zonal Commander. It emphasized that the analogies discussed during the press briefing were global trends intended to raise awareness about organ harvesting and were not meant to suggest that such activities had occurred locally.
Flanked by Eno Akpan, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and Emem Ette, Director of the Department of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the Ministry of Justice, Essang urged the public to disregard the misleading reports. “While NAPTIP actively promotes awareness about organ harvesting as a global issue, there have been no such incidents reported in Akwa Ibom,” he said.
Essang also reiterated that human trafficking remains a serious global concern and encouraged vigilance from the public, particularly regarding the welfare of children and adults, to prevent them from falling victim to traffickers.
The NAPTIP Zonal Command concluded by seeking the cooperation of citizens in the ongoing fight against human trafficking in the state, emphasizing the importance of collective efforts in addressing such issues.
