Ms. Ifiok Ephraim Umoren, the eldest sister of the late Iniubong Umoren, has firmly debunked circulating claims alleging that her sister’s organs were harvested following her brutal murder in April 2021.
Speaking during a press briefing in Uyo, Ifiok described the allegation as “outrageous” and “deeply hurtful,” emphasizing that she personally witnessed the autopsy, during which all internal organs were confirmed intact.
Iniubong Umoren, a 26-year-old Philosophy graduate of the University of Uyo, was murdered on April 29, 2021, by UduakAbasi Frank Akpan under the guise of a job interview.
Akpan, who was later convicted for rape and murder, was sentenced to death by the Akwa Ibom State High Court on August 4, 2022.
The press briefing was convened in response to recent claims by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in a viral audio-visual conversation with US-based activist Dr. Sandra C. Duru, in which she alleged that Nigeria’s Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was involved in harvesting Iniubong’s organs to save his wife.
Flanked by the Akwa Ibom Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Friday Johnson Itim, and Mr. Samuel Abdullah of the Legal Aid Council, Ifiok expressed disbelief and emotional distress over the allegation.
“How can someone claim that my sister’s organs were harvested when I was right there during the autopsy?” she queried. “This accusation is not only false but dishonours the memory of my sister and retraumatizes our family.”
She narrated how her sister had informed her of a job interview before her disappearance and how she played a critical role in identifying the suspect and aiding police investigations.
“After her death, the police took the body for autopsy at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital. I was present. No organ was missing,” she said.
Supporting her statement, Mr. Itim described the crime as a solitary act committed by UduakAbasi, who attacked Iniubong after she refused to have unprotected sex.
“He killed her in anger, buried her in a shallow grave, and fled. His arrest was facilitated by his family and the local government chairman,” Itim said.
Mr. Abdullah added that the allegation of organ harvesting had no basis in court proceedings.
“Neither prosecution nor defense ever mentioned Senator Akpabio in connection with the case. The certified autopsy report is publicly accessible and confirms that all internal organs were intact.” The pathologist, Dr. Emeka Nwafor, who conducted the postmortem, also testified under oath in court in 2021 that while the body showed signs of decomposition and trauma, there was no evidence of organ removal. Legal experts and family members are now considering legal redress against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for spreading what they call “defamatory and destabilizing misinformation.”