A Nigerian man has shared a chilling account of how he narrowly escaped being a victim of kidney trafficking in Gombe State after falling ill and being lured into a vehicle by someone who knew his name.
The story, which was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by user @GombeDopest_, reveals the terrifying ordeal the victim, identified only as Sabiu, went through after he became weak from a fever and unsuspectingly entered a vehicle with tinted windows.
According to the account, Sabiu began to feel symptoms of fever one Thursday evening and took paracetamol, which briefly helped. By nightfall, however, his condition worsened, and he spent the night shivering.
The following morning, too weak to go out on his own, he called a neighbor who helped administer some medication through a cannula.
Feeling slightly better, he completed his morning prayers and visited his parents. Despite their concerns upon seeing the cannula, he assured them he was managing the fever and decided to go to the hospital later for proper treatment.
Before heading out, he quickly plugged in his phones when power was restored, picked up his HMO card, ATM card, and some cash, and set out.
He boarded an Okada (motorcycle taxi), but midway through the trip, he became dizzy and asked the rider to stop. After waiting for about 10 minutes without recovering, the rider advised him to rest and left.
While sitting by the roadside, a car with tinted windows pulled up. A man inside called out his name. In his weak state, and recognizing the man as someone who possibly knew him from past work at banks, he entered the car.
Moments later, the situation turned sinister.
"The two men in the back seat pulled me to the center and forced a long beanie over my head, covering my face. We drove for about 25 minutes. When the beanie was finally removed, I found myself in a room with three men surrounding me," He recounted.
One of the men, wearing gloves and a face mask, drew his blood, took a saliva sample, and demanded a urine sample.
When he hesitated, he was physically assaulted until he complied. Though they offered him food, he refused, terrified and sick with fever.
He noted a clock on the wall: it was 11:20 a.m.
Left alone most of the day, he overheard discussions later that night about his kidney, which confirmed his worst fears.
the doctor returned and, after reviewing some documents, confirmed he was healthy aside from the fever and gave him medication that provided some relief. Despite this, Sabiu continued to reject any food or drink.
The following night, he overheard the traffickers speaking to the doctor about transporting him to Kaduna for surgery scheduled on Monday.
He also heard the driver ask about payment and the buyer of the kidney. One of them quickly realized the door had been left ajar and locked it properly, fearing he had heard too much-which he had.
Realizing his life was in danger, Sabiu knew he had to escape.
"I inspected the room. The doors and windows were secure, but the ceiling was made of a thin rubber-like material."
"I dragged a chair to the center of the room, climbed onto it, and broke through the ceiling. I crawled across into another room and then found a weak spot in the roof, which I forced open."
Once outside, he hid in a flower bed as a man with a flashlight passed by. When the coast was clear, he climbed a drum near the wall and escaped the compound barefoot and disoriented.
He flagged down several cars before an elderly man finally stopped and offered to drop him at Jekadafari Roundabout.
Exhausted and dazed, he walked toward Central Primary School and was recognized by a familiar face who offered to take him home.
At home, his mother was the only one in. The rest of the family had been out searching for him.
"I knocked weakly and said, 'It's me.' She opened the door, and I collapsed in her arms, crying. After drinking two sachets of water, I passed out."
His elder brother and wife-both medical professionals-returned shortly after and began treatment. He was placed on IV fluids and administered injections. Sabiu didn't regain consciousness until midnight the following day, having slept for over 24 hours due to exhaustion and trauma.
When he finally woke up, he narrated everything to his mother, who wept and thanked God for his miraculous escape.
"I share my story to warn the public: organ trafficking is real," he wrote.
"These people are organized and may even know your name or background. They operate like professionals-from taking medical samples to communicating with buyers."
His story has sparked widespread concern on social media, with many Nigerians expressing shock and urging authorities to act swiftly in combating the growing threat of organ trafficking.
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