Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Police in Enugu State have denied reports of a viral video alleging attempt to harvest the organs of two ladies at a hotel in Enugu.
The Public Relations Officer of the Enugu State Police Command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, made the denial in a statement on Monday.
Ndukwe said that the two ladies (names withheld,) ladies, who were tied up, in a hotel room in Enugu were not victims of organ harvest attempts.
He stated that preliminary investigation revealed a case of demanding money with menace and fraud, and not murder or human organs or parts harvesting as being peddled.
“Further revealed is that the ladies, operating as commercial sex workers, made out with the young men on July 3, 2024, in a hotel (names withheld) along Agbani Road, Enugu.
“They had another appointment the following day and met the suspects in the hotel where the incident occurred.
“At the hotel, the suspects beat and tied up the girls in the hotel’s room toilet after menacingly demanding and obtaining their phones and account details, including their Personal Identification Numbers (PINs).
“They were said to have surreptitiously found their way out of the hotel before the victims were rescued, as seen in the video,” he said.
According to the Police spokesperson, “The suspects further fraudulently withdrew a cumulative sum of one hundred and twenty thousand (₦120,000.00) from the victims’ accounts.”
Ndukwe further said that a bag containing two (2) kitchen knives and sportswear the suspects left behind has been recovered, while an intelligence-guided investigation to fish out and bring the fleeing suspects to book was ongoing.
“Consequently, owners and managers of hotels have been advised to exercise the highest standards of security alertness and ensure that lodgers are properly screened, and their verifiable details obtained before being accommodated.
“Moreover, young ladies have been cautioned against going out with unknown persons, particularly males, under any guise to avoid falling prey to similar criminals and their activities,” Ndukwe said.
