Dr. Obinna Obeta (right), Beatrice Ekweremadu (middle), and Senator Ike Ekweremadu (left). Image: AP
Uk court have jailed Senator Ike Ekeremadu, his wife and their family doctor on Friday, May 5, 2023 over an organ harvesting plot involving a young man who was trafficked to the UK in an attempt to harvest his kidney.
The former Deputy Senate President, his wife Beatrice and Dr. Obinna Obeta were sentenced at the UK’s Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey as follows: Ekweremadu, nine years and eight months; his wife, four years and six months, and Dr. Obeta to 10 years in prison in the first conviction of its kind under UK’s Modern Slavery Act.
The trio were found guilty in March of trafficking a 21-year-old former street trader to the UK to provide a kidney for the Ekweremadus’ daughter Sonia, who according to the Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) statement suffers from kidneys disease and needs regular dialysis.
Prosecutors argued that the victim was brought to the UK after being offered a reward of up to £7,000, equivalent of $8,810 and the promise of work in the country, but was oblivious of the fact that he was expected to give a kidney in return.
A medical consultant called off the planned transplant after becoming suspicious of the circumstances surrounding it. The later victim fled, sleeping in uncomfortable conditions for days before reporting the plan to UK police last May, the CPS added.
“This was an horrific plot to exploit a vulnerable victim by trafficking him to the UK for the purpose of transplanting his kidney,” Joanne Jakymec, Chief Crown Prosecutor, was quoted as saying.
“The convicted defendants showed utter disregard for the victim’s welfare, health and well-being and used their considerable influence to a high degree of control throughout, with the victim having limited understanding of what was really going on here,” she continued.
Detective Inspector Esther Richardson, from the Met’s Modern Slavery and Exploitation Command said: “This is a landmark conviction and we commend the victim for his bravery in speaking against these offenders.”
Ekweremadu’s was a former deputy senate president in Nigeria for 12 years, and served as speaker of the ECOWAS parliament between 2011 and 2015. His case evoked sympathy among Nigerians who saw him and his wife as victims of circumstance who were desperate to help their sick daughter.
Some Nigerian political class, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President of the Senate of Nigeria, Ahmad Lawan wrote to the UK court pleading for leniency ahead of his sentencing, but were unsuccessful.
