The family of the late Iniubong Umoren, along with legal representatives from both the prosecution and defense, has firmly dismissed recent social media allegations suggesting that her organs were harvested, calling such claims false, unfounded, and a cruel distortion of the truth.
At a press briefing held in Akwa Ibom State, representatives from the Umoren family, the state’s Ministry of Justice, and legal counsel involved in the high-profile murder trial of UduakAbasi Akpan came together to address and condemn the viral narrative, which has recently implicated Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a baseless organ trafficking conspiracy.
Speaking with visible emotion, Iniubong’s elder sister, Ifiok Umoren, recounted the heartbreaking timeline that led to her sister’s tragic death. She recalled how Iniubong had informed her of a job interview before she went missing in April 2021 and how the family frantically searched for her when she failed to return home.
She clarified that the young graduate's remains were examined in the presence of both the police and family members before her burial. "Before she was buried, the police took her body to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital for an autopsy," Ifiok stated. "Two policemen and I were there. I saw with my own eyes—every organ in her body was intact. She was laid to rest on May 18, 2021."
Her voice heavy with grief and disbelief, Ifiok condemned those spreading the rumors, questioning the motives behind such cruel fabrications. "How can anyone twist this tragedy into a lie about organ harvesting? It is painful enough to lose a loved one—we shouldn’t have to relive that pain through malicious falsehoods," she said.
Supporting the family’s statement, Mr. Friday Itim, the Director of Public Prosecution for Akwa Ibom State, reiterated that the murder trial of UduakAbasi Akpan was thorough, transparent, and devoid of any mention of organ removal. He detailed how Akpan lured Iniubong under the pretense of a job interview, murdered her after she resisted unprotected sex, and buried her in a shallow grave before fleeing to Calabar, where he was later apprehended.
The prosecution, Itim emphasized, presented ten witnesses and a strong body of evidence that led to Akpan’s conviction and eventual sentencing to death by hanging on August 4, 2022.
"It is outrageous and damaging to suggest that this case had anything to do with organ harvesting or any link to the Senate President. The facts are clear, the evidence is documented, and justice has been served," Itim stated. He further called for the prosecution of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who allegedly promoted the misinformation, for spreading false and defamatory content.
Akpan’s defense counsel, Samson Adula, also lent his voice to the chorus of denials. “Throughout the duration of the trial, there was never any indication or evidence suggesting that the deceased was a victim of organ trafficking,” he asserted. “These are mere social media speculations with no grounding in truth or court records.”
Iniubong Umoren, a promising 26-year-old Philosophy graduate from the University of Uyo, was remembered by family and friends as intelligent, ambitious, and kind-hearted. Her life was tragically cut short on April 29, 2021, in a crime that sent shockwaves across the nation. Her killer, UduakAbasi Akpan, was brought to justice after months of public outcry and legal proceedings.
The press briefing concluded with a plea from the family and state officials to the public: to respect the memory of the deceased by refraining from spreading unfounded narratives and to allow the dignity of justice and truth to prevail.
