Wellington Clinics, Abuja, has denied any financial involvement in a controversial kidney transplant carried out at its facility, saying its role was limited to providing an equipped theatre and a suitable environment for the procedure.
The hospital said the operation was conducted by an independent specialist medical team led by Dr Benjamin Friday Oyimeh, Senior Consultant Nephrologist and Chief Executive Officer of Crown Medical and Kidney Centre.
According to Wellington Clinics, Oyimeh’s team was responsible for recruiting, assessing and screening both the kidney donor and recipient, as well as other clinical and medico-legal requirements.
In a statement issued by its Director of Administration, Yemi Olatunbosun, and made available to journalists on Tuesday, the hospital said it “did not participate, facilitate, negotiate, or benefit from any transactional arrangements” connected with the transplant.
The hospital said the donor, identified in its records as Abubakar Hassan, was admitted on 24 April 2026 and underwent a left donor nephrectomy the same day.
It explained that under its collaboration arrangement with specialist medical teams, the lead consultant is responsible for patient recruitment, clinical assessment, donor-recipient compatibility, informed consent, ethical screening and other relevant requirements.
The consultant and his team, it added, were also responsible for ensuring compliance with the National Health Act 2014 and applicable guidelines issued by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
Wellington said the donor presented several documents when he was admitted, including a court affidavit, a digital National Identification Number slip, a birth certificate issued by the National Population Commission, an affidavit of consent and a statutory declaration of age.
The hospital said the donor was accompanied by a man identified as Abubakar Isa, whom he described as his brother.
It said the donor was admitted under the name Abubakar Hassan, with a date of birth of 4 February 2000, and hospital number WCA/8066/2026.
According to the hospital, the donor was discharged on 28 April, four days after the operation, but was readmitted on 11 July for wound management and removal of remaining stitches. He was discharged two days later.
Wellington said the kidney removed from the donor was immediately transplanted into a patient suffering from end-stage kidney failure.
The hospital stressed that neither the donor nor the recipient died as a result of the procedure.
It said it had relied on the documents and declarations submitted by the donor and the specialist medical team, adding that it had neither the independent means nor a legal duty to conduct forensic investigations into the relationship between a donor and recipient.
The hospital said there had been no indication at the time of admission that any of the documents presented were false or that the donor had misrepresented his identity.
However, Wellington said the donor’s actual name was allegedly Samuel Ezekiel and claimed that he had previously sworn an affidavit before an FCT High Court adopting the name Abubakar Hassan.
The hospital said the Nigeria Police Force was investigating the matter and assured that it was fully co-operating with the authorities.
It also announced the suspension of all renal transplant-related services at the facility pending the outcome of the investigation.
Wellington Clinics reaffirmed its commitment to ethical and evidence-based healthcare, saying it would comply with the findings and directives of the relevant authorities.
The hospital urged investigators to examine its records and other documents relating to the transplant, saying they would help establish the extent of its involvement in the procedure.
