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The police in Lagos have arrested 45-year-old Achegbulu Paul for operating an illegal blood bank in his one room apartment at Bariga, with children and teenagers as donors.
The suspect was arrested on June 9 after he drew four pints of blood from 17 year-old Ayomide Adesanya on Monday June 4 and Saturday June 9. He took two pints each on the two days.
Paul, a medical lab technician was said to have lured under aged kids to donate blood, paying them N2,000 each and selling the blood for N7,000.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Imohimi Edgal, led operatives of the Command to Bariga to see the blood bank and paid a visit to the victim at the hospital.
“The illegal blood bank was uncovered after the last victim was hospitalised,” he said. “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 N7,000”
According to the suspect, a Benue State indigene, 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,” he confessed.
“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 sold to. I do not know where he is at the moment.”
The suspect 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”.
Ayomide is currently on blood transfusion at the hospital. He was moved to Somolu General Hospital by his parents and as of 5pm, he was receiving his second pint of blood.
The CP has directed that all those buying blood from the suspect be investigated and arrested because they run an illegal blood bank. The blood was not screened of HIV, Hepatitis among others.