….says her organs were intact as contained in autopsy

… Calls for legal actions against Natasha

Ifiok Ephraim Umoren, the elder sister of the late Iniubong Umoren, has publicly debunked recent allegations of organ harvesting leveled by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduagham which are linked to her sister’s tragic death, describing them as “false, malicious, and baseless.”

Speaking during a press conference on Saturday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, Ifiok condemned the claims made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi West.

The Senator, in an audio-video interview with U.S.-based activist Dr. Sandra C. Duru, had alleged that the organs of Iniubong were harvested and used to save the life of Senator Godswill Akpabio’s wife, Unoma Ekaette Akpabio.

“My sister’s organs were intact during autopsy,” Ifiok said with a shaky voice, surrounded by the state Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Friday Johnson Itim, and Mr. Samuel Abdullah, lawyer to the convicted murderer, UduakAbasi Frank Akpan.

“How can someone tell me — and indeed the world — that my sister’s organs were harvested? Did the person who made this accusation exhume my sister after burial?” she questioned.

Iniubong Umoren, a 26-year-old Philosophy graduate of the University of Uyo, was gruesomely murdered on April 29, 2021, by UduakAbasi Frank Akpan, who lured her with a fake job interview in Uruan Local Government Area.

He was later convicted of rape and murder by the Akwa Ibom State High Court, Uyo, in charge number HU/87C/2021 and sentenced to death on August 4, 2022.

Recalling the tragic events, Ifiok narrated how Iniubong had informed her before leaving for the interview and had shared the contact details of her prospective employer. When communication ceased, and a friend in Lagos alerted her after hearing screams during a call, Ifiok said she became alarmed.

“I took the phone number, verified the owner, and posted both my sister’s and the suspect’s pictures on Facebook,” she said.

“On May 2, the police took me to the morgue. I identified her body. Before burial, the police conducted an autopsy at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, and I witnessed it personally. All her organs were complete”, she added.

Supporting her statement, Mr. Itim reiterated that there was no third party involved in the crime. “UduakAbasi tied her neck, killed Iniubong over her refusal to have unprotected sex, and buried her in a shallow grave,” he stated. At no point during the investigation, arrest, or trial was Senator Akpabio mentioned.”

Mr. Itim called for legal action against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. “It is outrageous for anyone to drag Senator Akpabio into this heinous crime. I call on relevant authorities to prosecute Natasha for spreading falsehood.”

Also speaking, Mr. Samuel Abdullah, who served as defense counsel to UduakAbasi, described the allegation as “a fabrication from the pit of hell.” He affirmed that no such issue of organ harvesting was raised throughout the trial. “The prosecution and defense records are public. We must not fabricate stories to suit our biases,” he stressed.

Backing their statements, the autopsy report presented in court on November 16, 2021, by Dr. Emeka Nwafor, a Senior Consultant Pathologist at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, confirmed all internal organs were intact. “The internal organs were present but in advanced stages of decomposition,” Dr. Nwafor testified under oath.

He described the body as “a moderately decomposed young African female,” noting swelling and bruises but no signs of organ removal. “There was moderate bleeding beneath the scalp, but no skull fracture. The brain was decomposed, but all organs were in place,” he concluded.

As pressure mounts, Ifiok hinted at possible legal action. “We are considering the option,” she said, maintaining that justice must prevail for her sister, even in death.

Meanwhile, part of Autopsy Report Recall that on November 16, 2021, the court presided by Justice Bassey Nkanang under post mortem heard the evidence adduced by Dr. Emeka Nwafor, Senior Consultant Pathologist in the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo on the alleged murder of Miss Umoren.

“My Lord, I performed a post mortem examination on a body identified as Iniubong Umoren and these are my findings: ”The body was a moderate decomposing body of a young female African origin. The body was muzzled and swollen. She wore an earring on the right ear, no earring on the left ear. The two eyes collapsed and bulged out of the surface. The lips were swollen and mouth open,’’ Nwafor admitted.

According to him, ”By openings, all the organs were in abnormal and anatomic positions. There was excessive milk colour fluid on the thoracic cavity. ”All the internal organs were in advantage stage of decomposition. On the brain, there was moderate bleeding beneath the scalp, no skull fracture. The brain was completely decomposed.”