The family of the late Iniubong Umoren has refuted renewed allegations of organ harvesting surrounding her 2021 murder case, describing them as baseless and emotionally damaging.
Addressing journalists during a press briefing in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Ifiok Ephraim Umoren, the eldest sister of the deceased, dismissed claims that her sister’s organs were removed to save the life of Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s wife, as recently alleged in a viral video conversation purportedly involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and US-based activist, Dr. Sandra C. Duru, popularly known as Dr Mbeke.
“This accusation is not only false but dishonours the memory of my sister and retraumatizes our family,” Ifiok said. “How can someone claim that my sister’s organs were harvested when I was right there during the autopsy? I witnessed the entire procedure. All her internal organs were intact.”
Iniubong Umoren, a 26-year-old Philosophy graduate of the University of Uyo, was murdered on April 29, 2021, by UduakAbasi Frank Akpan, who lured her under the guise of a job interview. Akpan was convicted and sentenced to death by the Akwa Ibom State High Court on August 4, 2022, for rape and murder.
Ifiok was flanked at the briefing by Akwa Ibom State Director of Public Prosecution, Friday Johnson Itim, and Samuel Abdullah of the Legal Aid Council. Both officials corroborated her account and urged the public to disregard what they described as a “malicious narrative.”
Itim affirmed that the crime was a lone act carried out by Uduak Akpan following Iniubong’s refusal to engage in unprotected sex. “He killed her in anger, buried her in a shallow grave, and fled. His arrest was made possible by his own family and the local government chairman,” he said.
Legal Aid Council’s Abdullah emphasised that the claim had no connection to the legal proceedings. “Neither the prosecution nor the defence ever mentioned Senator Godswill Akpabio in the course of the trial. The certified autopsy report, which is publicly available, confirms that all internal organs were intact.”
Also reinforcing this position was Dr Emeka Nwafor, the pathologist who conducted the postmortem at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital. He had testified under oath in 2021 that, while the body showed signs of trauma and decomposition, there was no evidence of organ removal.
The family urged the public and media personalities to verify facts before disseminating damaging information. “These unfounded allegations are deeply hurtful,” Ifiok concluded. “Let my sister rest in peace.”
