Joe Foundation Hospital, situated in Iheaka within the Igboeze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, has been shut down due to allegations of human organ trafficking. This has caused significant distress among the relatives of patients—both those who have been discharged and those still receiving treatment—who are now fearful that their loved ones may have fallen victim to these illicit activities. When reporters from THE WHISTLER visited the hospital on Friday morning, they found the facility closed and devoid of its usual activity.
Initial reports indicated that the hospital’s medical director, known as Dr. Obara, was arrested after a patient he operated on developed severe complications. Subsequent examinations by other medical professionals revealed that one of the patient’s kidneys had been removed during surgery. A local resident expressed uncertainty about the situation, stating, “We don’t know what is happening in the hospital. The doctor was arrested and taken to Enugu, and now the place is locked. It seems the government may have closed it, although there’s no official notice regarding the closure.”
Another individual, who chose to remain anonymous, mentioned his concern for his nephew, who had undergone surgery at the hospital. He said, “We want to be sure that my nephew’s kidney is intact. He has been experiencing persistent pain, and this same doctor has been treating him. Who knows if we are victims too?”
Social media influencer Chijinkem Ugwuanyi previously reported that the medical director had been exploiting patients’ organs. He shared alarming details about a family that brought their child in for a routine appendix operation, only to find that the child’s condition worsened post-surgery. Despite repeated visits to the hospital, the doctor misdiagnosed the child with various ailments. Eventually, when the family sought treatment elsewhere, it was confirmed by other medical professionals that the child’s kidney had been harvested.
Following these shocking revelations, the family reported the matter to the police, leading to a thorough investigation. Authorities discovered that Dr. Obara had allegedly profited from organ trafficking for an extended period, living in luxury funded by these illicit activities. Despite his arrest, the extent of his alleged crimes and the number of victims remain unclear.