The body snatchers: how a young Nigerian man was lured to London in an organ-trafficking plot
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>Daniel was working at a market in Lagos when he was given the chance to start anew in the UK. He had no idea what was expected of him in return</p><p>• The summer issue of the Long Read magazine is out now. <a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/the-guardian-long-read-summer-2026-9781919464312?utm_source=theguardian&amp;utm_medium=onplatform&amp;utm_campaign=longreadvol4&amp;utm_content=in-article">Click here</a> to order</p><p>Daniel arrived in Lagos for the first time in 2016. He had come from a village in Ebonyi, a state in south-eastern Nigeria. He was 15 years old, the eldest of nine siblings, and his parents were farmers. When he was a boy, his father became sick and Daniel started working to assist his family, helping to cut trees and clear land. A few years later, he decided to seek his fortune in Lagos.</p><p>In Nigeria’s commercial capital, Daniel spent his days in the open-air Ikotun Market, where thousands of people shop every day for everything from tomatoes and fabric to suitcases and electronics. He sold cellphone accessories out of a wheelbarrow under a wide umbrella, making less than £10 a day. After living with a relative, he moved into a room with friends, including a young man named Chukwudi, who also worked in the market. Daniel had grown up in the same village as Chukwudi. A photo from their early childhood shows the boys together, Daniel in a red sportswear shirt.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/jul/30/body-snatchers-young-nigerian-man-lured-london-organ-trafficking-plot">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
Daniel was working at a market in Lagos when he was given the chance to start anew in the UK. He had no idea what was expected of him in return• The summer issue of the Long Read magazine is out now. Click here to orderDaniel arrived in Lagos for the first time in 2016. He had come from a village in Ebonyi, a state in south-eastern Nigeria. He was 15 years old, the eldest of nine siblings, and his parents were farmers. When he was a boy, his father became sick and Daniel started working to assist his family, helping to cut trees and clear land. A few years later, he decided to seek his fortune in Lagos.In Nigeria’s commercial capital, Daniel spent his days in the open-air Ikotun Market, where thousands of people shop every day for everything from tomatoes and fabric to suitcases and electronics. He sold cellphone accessories out of a wheelbarrow under a wide umbrella, making less than £10 a day. After living with a relative, he moved into a room with friends, including a young man named Chukwudi, who also worked in the market. Daniel had grown up in the same village as Chukwudi. A photo from their early childhood shows the boys together, Daniel in a red sportswear shirt. Continue reading...
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