A Nigerian Pharmacist who got stranded in India, where she had gone for a kidney transplant, has finally returned home.
24-year-old Esther Theophilus had got stuck in the country since July 2014 after the person who promised her the transplant was part of a kidney harvesting racket busted by the police.
Theophilus had been futilely waiting for a kidney donor for nearly four years. Her stay in the country has also become illegal as she failed to get herself registered with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office owing to her poor health.
During her stay in India, her diabetic mother passed away more than a month ago.
Theophilus had approached the Mumbai police to help her return to Nigeria. But it was difficult for cops to process her request as she has illegally been living in the country for four years.
However, the police expedited her application for (exit certificate) on humanitarian grounds as her family has not performed her mother’s last rites.
The police finally issued her an exit permit to Theophilus on Thursday and she flew out on Friday morning.
Theophilus said,
“My experience in India had been awful, especially the lengthy medical and legal systems. But unlike others, the police were very polite. They didn’t victimise me.
“I came across a person who assured me a kidney and demanded $50,000. I didn’t have so much money, so I kept looking for a generous donor but never found one,” said Theophilus.
Meanwhile, in the last quarter of 2016, a major kidney racket was busted in city’s Hiranandani hospital. After this development, many groups operating illegal kidney rackets went underground.
Theophilus then got to know that the person she had given money to for a kidney was probably part of one such group. She lost a huge amount to this fraudster, police sources said.
