These are not the best of times for the family of Mr Kehinde Kamal of Rikkos community, Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State and Dr Noah Kekere of Murna Clinic and Maternity located at Yanshanu community also in Jos North LGA, as global attention is drawn to the case of missing kidney involving the family and the medical doctor.

The nation recently woke up to the news of Kamal’s family protesting his wife’s missing kidney and their suspicion that their medical doctor was responsible for the ugly development.

While the culprit in the missing kidney saga remains a matter of conjecture, there is no debate as to the fact that the life of Mrs Kehinde Kamal, a 45-year old mother of four, is in clear and present danger.

The Nation learnt that the housewife has suffered severe pains for about five years since she underwent a surgery for appendicitis in a private hospital known as Murna Clinic and Maternity located at Yanshanu.

Narrating her ordeal in an interview with The Nation correspondent, Kehinde, the victim of the alleged organ harvesting, said: “Dr Noah Kekere has been our family doctor for years. So when I had a stomach problem in 2018, I went to his clinic for treatment.

“After running some tests, the doctor told me my problem was appendix (appendicitis) and there was an urgent need for me to undergo surgery to remove the appendix.

“Because we trusted him, my husband paid the bill of N80,000 and the surgery was carried out successfully.

“But shortly after I was discharged from the hospital, I started experiencing a very strange pain in my abdomen and my husband said I should go back to the doctor for examination.

“So I went and the doctor gave me some drugs to relief the pains, but the pains kept going and coming.

“Each time the doctor gave me drugs to relieve the pains, I would only experience relief for a few days and the pain would return even more severe.

“I was having sleepless nights due to the pains. Then the doctor said I should come for another surgery and gave us a bill of N60,000.

“At that point, my husband and I decided to go to the University of Jos Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for advanced medical examination.

“To our surprise, we discovered at JUTH that one of my kidneys had been removed.

“I was shocked and confused at the discovery that my kidney was missing.

“The only thing that came to my mind was the hospital where I had a surgery in 2018, and that is our family doctor, Noah Kekere.

“So we suspected him and my husband reported him to the police”

“The truth is, since I was born, I had never had surgery. Even when I gave birth to my four children, I did not undergo surgery. It was only when this doctor said I had appendicitis that I underwent the surgery. So, the only person that has had access to my organs since I was born is Dr. Kekere”

With the bizarre discovery, Kehinde’s husband Kamal reported Dr. Kekere and Murna Clinic and Maternity to the police, accusing the former of removing his wife’s kidney during an operation in 2018. Dr Kekere was promptly arrested by the police over the allegation.
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The Nation checks revealed that Dr Kekere, an indigene of Kogi State, is a graduate of Economics from Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma while the purported pastor with one of the frontline Pentecostal churches has operated the clinic for 25 years.

The Plateau State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) told our correspondent that Dr Kekere is not one of their members because he is not known to the association.

The branch chairman of NMA, Dr Bapigaan William Audu, said: “Our records do not show that the person accused is a medical doctor. What we have at our secretariat and the investigation we have carried out is that Dr Kekere is not our member.”

Ironically, the self-styled doctor has earned a lot of trust from residents of the community as a competent medical doctor as many of his clients attested to the fact that they have received solutions to their health challenges at his clinic.

Popularly known as “Yellow”, Kekere attracted a lot of patronage from the community due to his compassionate disposition towards his patients.

A resident, Sulaiman Bala, said: “The doctor is very compassionate. He does not charge much and he even gives treatment on credit. He is very friendly with everyone and that makes people to patronise him.”

Fifty-one-year-old Busari, an indigene of Ogbomoso, Oyo State and husband of the victim, said: “I am confused. I don’t know what to say.

“All I am saying is that I want justice for my wife. She is has been in pains since 2018. We have never rested, and now we are discovering that her kidney is missing.

“I will spend my last kobo to get justice for my wife.

“I want government to help me take over this case.

“I have spent all I have while treating my wife over this stomach problem. I need help to get out of this problem.

“My biggest worry is that my wife is in pains. I want her to be well and healthy.

“I need treatment for her and I need justice over her missing kidney.”

The doctor at the centre of the missing kidney saga, Kekere, was still in police custody and could not be reached for comments. The police, however, said that investigation was ongoing as to how Kehinde’s kidney got missing.

However, a Jos based medical doctor, who pleaded anonymity, told The Nation that “this issue of missing organ is a very complex one in the sense that the truth can only be discovered after a careful and thorough investigation.

“It is possible for someone to be born with one kidney. It is also possible she was born with two kidneys and one has been removed, but how it was removed and who removed it has to be carefully investigated.

“Again, the antecedents of the accused owner of Murna Clinic have to be investigated, in case he has ever been suspected of such act and to also be sure his area of specialisation is in the medical field.

“So, it is an investigation that will take some time.”

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Plateau State Command, Alfred Alabo, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), told The Nation: “The position of the police now on the missing organ is that our investigation is almost concluded.

“We have written to the state government and to NMA so that a team of medical doctors can be consulted to actually know and examine this woman to be sure if the kidney was actually removed or she was born with one kidney.

“We have been able to get all the other doctors that Mr Kekere employed. They are undergoing our interviews.”