The family of Iniubong Umoren, a 26-year-old Philosophy graduate who was brutally murdered in 2021, has strongly denied allegations of organ harvesting.
Ifiok Ephraim Umoren, Iniubong’s elder sister, addressed a press conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Saturday, to set the record straight.
Ifiok expressed shock and grief over Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recent allegation that Senator Godswill Akpabio was involved in Iniubong’s organ harvesting.
“How can someone tell me that my sister’s organs were harvested?” Ifiok queried. “Did the person who accused Akpabio go and harvest my sister’s organs after burial?”
Ifiok narrated the circumstances surrounding her sister’s murder, which was committed by UduakAbasi Frank Akpan on April 29, 2021. She revealed that Iniubong’s organs were intact during the autopsy, which was witnessed by two policemen and herself.
The Director of Public Prosecution in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Friday Johnson Itim, corroborated Ifiok’s story, stating that UduakAbasi single-handedly killed Iniubong over her refusal to have raw sex with him. Itim added that the murderer never mentioned Akpabio’s name during the trial.
Samuel Abdullah, the lawyer who defended UduakAbasi, also dismissed the organ harvesting allegation as a lie. “The prosecution file is in the public domain for anybody to assess,” he said. “We should not assume the issue.”
The family has hinted at considering legal action against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for spreading false information. The pathologist who performed the autopsy, Dr. Emeka Nwafor, had earlier testified in court that all Iniubong’s internal organs were in an advanced stage of decomposition, but there was no indication of organ harvesting.
The family and officials present at the press conference demanded that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan be held accountable for her false allegation.
Sunrisereporters.
