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Organ Exploitation: How Syndicate Lured Minor For Kidney Harvest

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Oluwatobi’s predicament started on February 9, 2023, when a friend he referred to as Yellow informed him of a job that would earn him some money. He said he was cajoled into meeting a man who identified himself as Emmanuel Melody and assured him he was a staff of Alliance Hospital in Area 11.

Oluwatobi was persuaded to submit himself for a blood test, which Mr Melody said was needed for the job.

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Three days later, Melody reached out to the Oluwatobi through Yellow and requested another meeting.

“It was at that meeting that he told me that they wanted my kidney and I immediately refused. We left, but he called three days later, saying we should come and collect part payment, then we could go back home and think about it. My friend persuaded me and we went there around 4pm,” Oluwatobi explained.

He further said they met Melody at the Alliance Hospital, where he informed them that some procedures had to be carried out before the part payment and handed him (Oluwatobi) to a staff of the hospital, Chikodili Ugochukwu, who took him to court to swear an affidavit.

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Later, another woman took me for an X-ray, and on our way back, we took an Uber, but the car broke down. They said it was too late for me to go home, so that I should sleep in the hospital’s ward. I agreed. Later in the night, they woke me up to sign some documents.”

What Oluwatobi signed was a consent form to go into surgery for his kidney. The form, which was made available to our reporter, states that he was “aware of the intended benefits, possible risks and complications and alternatives to the procedure.” The form had already been signed by one Dr Aremu Abayomi Adeniran who was to perform the procedure.

Checks by Daily Trust showed that Dr Adeniran is a consultant urologist and the Deputy Director, Clinical Service, at the Alliance Hospital. Miss Chikodili Ugochukwu, who took Oluwatobi to swear the affidavit, is the senior operations manager in the hospital.

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But Oluwatobi said he signed the consent form without prior counselling or psychosocial assessment from the hospital, an important requirement in organ donation, according to global best practices. He was also not advised on the risks and implications of the surgery nor the finances for the lifelong care required for kidney donors.

They said there was no time and that I should hurry and sign the form, so I did. Mr Melody had shown us dollars and they gave me the impression that my friend Yellow was in the theatre and we needed to hurry up,” he said.

He explained that he woke up three days after the surgery, and in his delirious state, made an attempt to leave the hospital but was restrained and told he needed to rest.

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He said Melody, who he was told was a staff of Alliance Hospital, had offered to buy him a phone and had sent N120,000 to Yellow, but that Yellow later claimed that the phone had been stolen. Melody then promised to buy him another phone while also sponsoring his hotel bills pending when his stitches would be removed.

“When I got discharged from the hospital, Melody insisted that I should not go home but stay in a hotel. We went to a phone shop with my friend and I picked a phone of N290,000, while Melody transferred N500,000 to the shop owner. The shop owner now transferred the balance of N290,000 to my friend’s account,” he further said.

He said he was forced to move to four different hostels following threats by a gang of youths who he suspected were hired by Mr Melody.

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READ ALSO: Pig Kidney Functioning In Human For More Than A Month

They were monitoring my every movement and they always knew even when I changed a hotel,” he said.

When Mr Melody sent him another N380,000 for his hotel accommodation, he said the gang of criminals accosted him and forced out N170,000 from him.

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As soon as his stitches were removed, he said Mr Melody asked him to flee the town or be killed.

Kidney transplant in Nigeria on the rise

Kidney is the world’s most sought-after organ, going by global statistics that an estimated one million people die each year from untreated kidney failure. This is also because most donors are able to survive with one kidney. The bean-shaped organ, which acts like a filter to remove waste and extra fluid from the body, is also said to be the most trafficked human organ. Data from the Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation show that kidney transplant is on the rise globally.

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Daily Trust reports that at least 464,314 kidney transplants took place globally between 2018 and 2022, out of which 843 were carried out in Nigeria. Records from the Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation show that in 2022, Nigeria carried out 222 kidney transplants, most of which, experts said, were carried out by private medical centres that charged above N10m for the surgery.

How expensive a kidney transplant is depends on where you go for the service. Either in a public institution or in a private centre, most of the private centres charge between N10m and N15m, while at public centres like the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, one can get it with less than N5m,” a consultant nephrologist and head of the Nephrology Unit at AKTH, Professor Aliyu Abdu, explained.

Professor Abdu said that going by most studies in Nigeria, the prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) was around 10 per cent. “This means that more than 20m Nigerians have one stage of CKD or another.

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“Let us also assume that only five per cent of all those with different stages of the disease have stage five, the stage of CKD at which kidney transplant may be required. We will be talking of around one million Nigerians needing one form of kidney replacement therapy or another, including kidney transplant,” the kidney expert said.

Prof Aliyu said that to check unethical conduct in the harvest and implementation of organs, there were international best practices, as well as guidelines issued by international organisations, which transplant centres in Nigeria must comply with.

“There should be a multidisciplinary transplant committee that should include lawyers, psychologists, social workers, among others, in each centre offering organ transplant.

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“This committee should be responsible for the final recommendations to carry out the transplant or not on a case-by-case basis after reviewing all the clinical and other relevant information presented in each case,” he said.

READ ALSO: BOMBSHELL! I Was Poisoned At PDP Secretariat, My Liver, Kidney Shut Down – Wike

Daily Trust Saturday further reports that trafficking in persons for the removal of organs has become a thriving business due to severe shortage of legally-sourced organs around the world. According to a 2017 report by the Global Financial Integrity, illegal organ trade conservatively generates approximately $84m to $1.7bn annually. Interpol in 2021 suggested that a wide spectrum of actors involved in human trafficking for organ removal had connections to the medical sector in countries from Africa.

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With Oluwatobi’s case coming to light shortly after the conviction of Nigeria’s former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, for organ trafficking, experts say the Nigerian government needs to provide a regulatory agency or department in the appropriate ministry to ensure that transplant centres operate based on ethical practices and in compliance with the laws of the land.

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Investigation by Daily Trust Saturday revealed that to justify that he was related to Sampson, Oluwatobi was equally persuaded to falsify his age to read 18 years. He signed an affidavit obtained at the High Court of Justice, Wuse, Abuja, which stated that he was 18 years, a nephew to Egbuson Sampson and agreed to donate a kidney to the recipient for a transplant at the Alliance Hospital. He also swore to the fact that the donation was on free will.

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The affidavit, as well as a consent form for which the surgery was carried out, is the hallmark of the hospital’s defence and why its Medical Director, Dr Christopher Otabor, said absolved it from any wrongdoing.

“He went to the high court to swear an affidavit. In that affidavit, he stated that he was 18 years old. He was 18 in September before the surgery. He also stated that he was related to the patient and that he was not under any duress and there was no financial consideration in him donating the kidney.

“So, having received the affidavit, and he signed a consent decree, we went ahead and did the surgery,” Dr Otabor said, absolving his hospital of any wrongdoing.

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However, Daily Trust gathered that the Alliance Hospital made provision for the court affidavit Oluwatobi signed and a staff of the hospital transported him to the court to obtain it.

Oluwatobi clarified that Miss Chikodili Ugochukwu, the hospital’s senior operations manager, drove him to the court where he used a light pen to append his signature.

I was only asked to use a light pen to make a signature, and I did. I was not given a paper to sign, so I did not read any paper,” he said, adding that the other document he signed was the four-page consent form, which showed that he appended his signature on February 17, 2023, at 11:49pm, while Emmanuel Melody signed as a witness at 11:51pm.

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Legal breaches

Currently, Nigeria has no regulatory agency guiding organ harvesting and transplant, which gives room for each transplant centre to come up with its own regulations and guidelines. As a result, many centres look the other way even when kidneys are sourced illegally.

For the Alliance Hospital, Dr Otabor said that as a rule the facility did not source donors for patients as they brought theirs.

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In this particular case (Oluwatobi), the patient that received his organ introduced him to the hospital as his donor. As our tradition is, we did the initial preliminaries and he was fit to donate,” he explained.

But Oluwatobi is underage, and by law is not expected to make such life-changing decisions without the supervision of his parents.

Section 48(2) of the National Health Act 2014 states that a person shall not remove tissue, which is not replaceable by natural processes, from a person younger than 18 years. Section 20 (3) of Nigeria’s Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administrative Act 2015 also criminalises enlisting, transporting, delivering and accommodating a person under the age of 18 for the purpose of removing the person’s organs. It states that such a person is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and a fine of not less than N5m.

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Oluwatobi’s certificate of birth printed by the National Population Commission (NPC) and registered on October 17, 2006, shows that he was born on September 3, 2006. The certificate was registered at the Primary Health Centre (PHC), Masaka, Karu LGA of Nasarawa State.

Speaking on the issue, a constitutional lawyer, Tope Idris Lawal, said Alliance Hospital could not absolve itself from blame as a court affidavit was a secondary document to be used where there was no availability of a primary document.

“In a situation where we have a primary certificate, which is a birth certificate, it stands taller than an affidavit,” he explained.

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In his analysis of Oluwatobi’s situation, Lawal said hospitals must take the principle of due diligence seriously, noting that where there was no birth certificate, the management of Alliance Hospital should have demanded a declaration of age, as, “Anything short of that makes Alliance Hospital liable.”

On the connection of Mr Melody to Alliance Hospital, Dr Otabor said the suspect was not a staff of his hospital and could at best be described as a tout suspected to hang around hospitals.

To start with, I don’t know anybody like that, and we don’t have anybody like that in Alliance Hospital. There are touts who hang around and present themselves as maybe representing the hospital. So, it is possible. I don’t know that the donor, the recipient, got in touch with them and I don’t know how they got him,” he said.

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READ ALSO: Why I Sought Kidney Donor Outside My Family – Ekweremadu

Both Mr Melody and Yellow are now on the run. A name search on Truecaller showed that Mr Melody’s name is saved as Mr Mayor. Several efforts to reach them on phone proved abortive as their numbers were switched off.

Police launch investigation

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Daily Trust reports that the FCT Police Command launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to the harvest of Oluwatobi’s kidney. The investigation led to the arrest of Dr Adeniran who conducted the surgery on the minor.

However, our correspondent gathered that the urologist has been released on bail.

The Medical Director of Alliance Hospital, Dr Otabor, confirmed that Dr Adeniran was detained by the police but released on bail.

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He said the police tried to get in touch with Egbuson Sampson, the recipient of Oluwatobi’s kidney, but found that the patient died four months after the surgery.

The FCT police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed that the doctor in the middle of the scandal had been released on bail while the matter was still being investigated.

“The case is under investigation at our state Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The doctor was arrested but released on bail. The investigation is yet to be concluded. You don’t give an investigation timeline because time is needed to properly investigate such a sensitive issue. We assure you that justice will be served and we will brief the public on the outcome,” she said.

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Daily Trust reports that at least 464,314 kidney transplants took place globally between 2018 and 2022, out of which 843 were carried out in Nigeria. Records from the Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation show that in 2022, Nigeria carried out 222 kidney transplants, most of which, experts said, were carried out by private medical centres that charged above N10m for the surgery.

“How expensive a kidney transplant is depends on where you go for the service. Either in a public institution or in a private centre, most of the private centres charge between N10m and N15m, while at public centres like the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, one can get it with less than N5m,” a consultant nephrologist and head of the Nephrology Unit at AKTH, Professor Aliyu Abdu, explained.

Professor Abdu said that going by most studies in Nigeria, the prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) was around 10 per cent. “This means that more than 20m Nigerians have one stage of CKD or another.

Advertisement

“Let us also assume that only five per cent of all those with different stages of the disease have stage five, the stage of CKD at which kidney transplant may be required. We will be talking of around one million Nigerians needing one form of kidney replacement therapy or another, including kidney transplant,” the kidney expert said.

Prof Aliyu said that to check unethical conduct in the harvest and implementation of organs, there were international best practices, as well as guidelines issued by international organisations, which transplant centres in Nigeria must comply with.

“There should be a multidisciplinary transplant committee that should include lawyers, psychologists, social workers, among others, in each centre offering organ transplant.

Advertisement

“This committee should be responsible for the final recommendations to carry out the transplant or not on a case-by-case basis after reviewing all the clinical and other relevant information presented in each case,” he said.

Daily Trust further reports that trafficking in persons for the removal of organs has become a thriving business due to severe shortage of legally-sourced organs around the world. According to a 2017 report by the Global Financial Integrity, illegal organ trade conservatively generates approximately $84m to $1.7bn annually. Interpol in 2021 suggested that a wide spectrum of actors involved in human trafficking for organ removal had connections to the medical sector in countries from Africa.

With Oluwatobi’s case coming to light shortly after the conviction of Nigeria’s former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, for organ trafficking, experts say the Nigerian government needs to provide a regulatory agency or department in the appropriate ministry to ensure that transplant centres operate based on ethical practices and in compliance with the laws of the land.

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Ex-World Boxing Champion, Ricky Hatton, Is Dead

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Former world boxing champion, Ricky Hatton, has died at the age of 46.

Hatton’s body was found at his home in Manchester on Sunday.

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Speaking on the incident, a Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said, “Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45am today (Sunday) where they found the body of a 46-year-old man.

“There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances,” the spokesperson said.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: FCT Head Of Service Is Dead

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Hatton, who won 45 of his 48 professional bouts across an esteemed 15-year career, last fought professionally in 2012.

He earned notable world title wins over Russia’s Kostya Tszyu and Jose Luis Castillo, before defeats by Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio.

Hatton, who announced his comeback in July was scheduled to fight Eisa Al Dah at middleweight on 2 December in Dubai.

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Nigerians Who Have Broken Guinness World Records

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Over the years, Nigerians have made their mark on the global stage by setting and breaking Guinness World Records across diverse fields.

Here are ten Nigerians who have earned a place in the Guinness World Records:

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1. Hilda Baci – Longest Cooking Marathon

Celebrity chef Hilda Baci captured national and international attention in May 2023 after cooking for 100 hours, setting the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual. Though her record was later surpassed, Baci has remained at the forefront of culinary challenges.

At the time of writing this report, Baci is attempting to cook the largest pot of Jollof rice in collaboration with a food brand.

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2. Tunde Onakoya – Longest Chess Marathon

Chess master and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, etched his name in history on April 17, 2025, after playing non-stop chess for 64 hours in New York, USA. His successful attempt came a year after an earlier effort, which, though unsuccessful in breaking the record, raised over $100,000 for his charity initiative. The 64-hour duration was symbolic, representing the total number of squares on a chessboard.

READ ALSO:Drama As Hilda Baci’s Jollof Pot Falls After GWR Attempt

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3. Ojumola Bello – Longest Acting Marathon

Nollywood actress
Ojumola Bello made history in September 2024 when she completed 139 hours and 19 minutes of non-stop acting. The marathon, held at Pent View Hotel in Ikorodu, ran from September 22 to 27, making her the first Nigerian actress to secure such a feat in the global records.

4. Helen Williams – Longest Handmade Wig

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Helen Williams is a professional wig maker based in Lagos who turned her craft into a world-class achievement. At just 31, she entered the Guinness World Records in July 2023 with the longest handmade wig, measuring 351.28 metres longer than the Eiffel Tower. Her record reflects not only skill and creativity but also Nigeria’s growing influence in the global beauty and fashion industry.

5. Divine Ikubor (REMA)

Divine Ikubor, professionally known as Rema, is a Nigerian Afrobeats star whose global rise has redefined the country’s music scene. In May 2023, he made history as the first artist to top the MENA charts, earning a Guinness World Records title. His breakout hit Calm Down, released on February 11, 2022, quickly became one of the fastest songs to surpass 100 million streams on Spotify, cementing his status as one of Africa’s most influential young artists.

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READ ALSO:Guinness World Records Certifies UNILAG Graduate For Record-breaking Catwalk

6. Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau – Longest Dance Party

Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau, popularly known as Kaffy, is Nigeria’s most celebrated dancer, choreographer, and fitness coach. She rose to international fame in 2006 after leading a team to break the Guinness World Record for the longest dance party during the Nokia Silverbird Danceathon. Today, she remains a trailblazer in the entertainment industry and a role model for young African performers.

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7. Wizkid – One Billion Streams

Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, one of Nigeria’s most internationally recognized musicians, came to the Guinness World Record spotlight when he featured on Drake’s hit single One Dance, which became the first track to surpass one billion streams on Spotify. The song was released on December 16, 2016.

One Dance marked a significant moment in global music, further solidifying Wizkid’s place in the international music scene. With the song, Wizkid became the first Afrobeats artist to achieve one billion streams on Spotify.

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READ ALSO:Guinness World Record Names 116-year-old Japanese World Oldest Person

8. Lucy Ejike – Heaviest Powerlifter

Lucy Ejike is a decorated Nigerian Paralympian and one of the country’s most celebrated powerlifters. She made history at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games by lifting 142 kg in the -61 kg category, setting a Guinness World Record for the heaviest powerlift by a female athlete in that division. Her dominance in the sport stretches back to the Athens 2004 Paralympics, where her 127.5 kg lift in the -44 kg class secured gold and established a record that still stands today.

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9. Fela Kuti – Most Studio Albums Recorded By A Solo Artist

Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the legendary Afrobeat pioneer, holds a Guinness World Records title for the most studio albums recorded by a solo artist. Between 1969 and 1992, he released 46 albums over a 23-year career, leaving behind a body of work that continues to shape global music and political activism.

10. Adeoye Ajibola – Paralympic Athletes

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Adeoye Ajibola, a Nigerian Paralympic sprinter, made history at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games when he ran the men’s 100 metres in 10.72 seconds. Competing in the T46 classification for athletes with limb impairments, he set a Guinness World Records mark and remains celebrated as one of Nigeria’s greatest Paralympic athletes.

11. Joy Onaolapo – Paralympic powerlifter

Joy Onaolapo was a Nigerian Paralympic powerlifter who delivered an unforgettable performance at the London 2012 Games. On September 1, she won a gold medal in the women’s -52 kg category after lifting 131 kg, a feat that secured her place in the Guinness World Records, among Nigeria’s sporting legends and inspired future generations of para-athletes.

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What To Know About Albania’s AI Minister, Diella

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Albania’s government has introduced Diella, an AI-generated virtual cabinet member tasked with public procurement. A world-first move that’s already drawing big praise and big questions.

Nigerian Tribune reports that Prime Minister Edi Rama unveiled Diella on Friday as a virtual member of the government, describing her as a cabinet member “not present physically but created virtually,” adding that she would help ensure public tenders remain free of corruption while making government operations more efficient and transparent.

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Below are ten most important, sourced facts and the key open questions to watch out for.

1. Diella as an AI

Diella is a computer system presented as an animated avatar (shown in traditional Albanian dress) and introduced by Prime Minister Edi Rama as a cabinet “member” created by AI rather than a flesh-and-blood minister.

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2. Official role and timing

The government
appointed Diella to take responsibility for public procurement when the new cabinet was presented in mid-September 2025. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Edi Rama.

READ ALSO:Israel-Palestine Conflict: Nigeria, 141 Countries Endorse Two-State Solution

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3. Where Diella came from

Diella evolved from a virtual assistant on the government e-Albania portal (AKSHI’s platform). The system was developed by Albania’s National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI) and expanded into a cabinet-level AI.

4. What the government promises

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Officials say Diella will make public procurement “100% free of corruption” by removing political discretion from awarding tenders and applying algorithmic decision-making. That is the reform pitch from PM Rama.

READ ALSO:Ghana Jails Three Nigerians For 96 Years Over Car Theft

5. Legal and constitutional controversy

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The appointment has sparked immediate debate. The presidency and opposition have expressed concern about constitutionality and who is accountable for ministerial decisions; some opposition figures have called the move political theatre.

6. Practical authority and human oversight unclear

Reports say procurement responsibilities are intended to be transferred gradually, but the government has not (publicly) published the full operational rules, human-in-the-loop safeguards, or the audit framework that would show who can override or audit Diella’s decisions.

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That lack of detail is a major practical question.

7. Tech partnerships and the avatar

News reports say Diella was developed by Albania’s AI lab at AKSHI and Associated Press reports mention collaboration with Microsoft; the avatar’s likeness and voice have also been linked to a local actress in public reporting.

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READ ALSO:Air Peace Reacts To NSIB’s Report On Drug, Alcohol

8. Innovation vs. democratic/ethical worries.

Domestic and international reaction is mixed. Supporters call it bold tech innovation to fight endemic corruption; critics warn about democratic accountability, potential for hidden biases, and the optics of “putting AI in power.” International outlets have also shown interest in how Diella will be deployed and analysts are watching closely.

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9. Top technical and governance risks to watch

Key risks flagged by observers: how decisions will be explained to losing bidders; whether procurement datasets contain historical bias; who is responsible if the system is manipulated or hacked; and whether legal frameworks allow algorithmic substitution for political decision-making.

These issues drive both legal challenges and practical audit needs.

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