KEY POINTS
- UK rejects Ekweremadu transfer citing sentence enforcement risks.
- Ekweremadu is jailed for nine years for organ trafficking.
- Conviction also marks first case under UK’s Modern Slavery Act.
The British government has rejected Nigeria’s request to transfer Ike Ekweremadu’s prison sentence. Ekweremadu is serving nine years and eight months in the United Kingdom for organ trafficking.
The former Deputy Senate President was convicted along with his wife, Beatrice, and medical doctor Obinna Obeta.
They conspired to exploit a young Nigerian man for a kidney transplant.
The kidney was intended for their daughter at a private London hospital. This was the first organ trafficking conviction under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act.
UK rejects Ekweremadu transfer over justice concerns
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, led a delegation to request Ekweremadu’s transfer. The UK Ministry of Justice rejected the request, citing doubts that Nigeria could guarantee he would serve the remainder of his sentence.
A government source further emphasized that transfers follow careful assessment and the interests of justice. Another official stressed that the UK will not tolerate modern slavery and that offenders will face the full force of the law.
While Beatrice Ekweremadu has been released after serving half of her four-and-a-half-year sentence. Obeta is serving a ten-year term, with the law requiring him to spend two-thirds of it in custody.
Justice Jeremy Johnson described their actions as part of a “despicable trade” and said harvesting organs treats human beings as commodities. He called Ekweremadu the driving force behind the plot and noted that the case marked a substantial fall from grace.
Ekweremadu case highlights UK-Nigeria legal challenges
The victim, identified in court as C, went to a private renal unit in London for a planned £80,000 transplant. Perpetrators falsely presented him as Sonia’s cousin, who had agreed to donate a kidney.
The hospital rejected the procedure after a failed bribery attempt but did not report it to the police. The plot was only revealed when the victim fled, fearing he would be taken to Nigeria for another attempt. Obeta had also previously received a kidney from another allegedly trafficked donor in 2021.
Nigeria’s attempt to further secure Ekweremadu’s return has drawn criticism from citizens. The High Commission of Nigeria in London had not commented at the time of reporting. The case also underscores the UK’s firm stance on modern slavery and organ trafficking.
