The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, Imohimi Edgal, has arrested one Achegbulu Paul for operating an illegal blood bank in his one room apartment at Number 18, Kusa bus stop in Bariga, with children as donors.
The police also recovered seven pints of blood in the room, ThisDayreports.
According to police report, the 45-year-old suspect was arrested on June 9th after he drew four pints of blood from a 17-year-old boy identified as Ayomide Adesanya on Monday June 4 and Saturday June 9. He took two pints each on the two days.
Achegbulu, a medical lab technician was said to have lured under aged children. He paid them 2,000 naira each while he sold the blood for 7,000.
The CP led operatives of the Command to Bariga to see the blood bank and paid a visit to the victim at the hospital after the case got to the Command.
“The illegal blood bank was uncovered after the last victim was hospitalised. Adesanya became weak after donating four pints of blood, collapsed and is currently receiving treatment at the Bariga Hospital.
The mother told us that the daughter’s friend informed them of Adesanya’s condition after she saw him on a bike looking like a corpse. Upon arrest, the illegal blood vendor confessed to sell blood to a hospital here in Lagos for 7,000 naira,” the police Commissioner said.
The suspect, a Benue State indigene, further stated that the victim told him that he was 20 years old.
”It was until the parents came to confront me that I knew he was 17 years old. He told me he was 20.”
According to the suspect, he was trained as a lab scientist at the Nigerian Institute of Science Technology in Plateau.
”I am a trained technician and I’ve been operating the illegal blood bank for five years now. Lab technicians from hospitals used to come and buy blood from me.
I used to sell the blood through my assistant, Alfa. He’s the one who knows the hospitals he sells to. I do not know where he is at the moment,” he confessed.
The victim has been transferred to Shomolu general hospital by his parents for better medical care, Ayomide was transfused with the 2nd pint of blood at about 5pm yesterday June 12th.
The CP has directed that all those buying blood from the suspect to be investigated and arrested because they run an illegal blood bank. The blood was not screened of HIV, Hepatitis among others.
I am tired of this Nigeria.