UK Keeps Ekweremadu in Prison, Denies Nigeria’s Request

The British Government has refused Nigeria’s request to bring back former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who is currently serving a prison sentence in the United Kingdom for organ trafficking. The decision was taken after Nigerian officials approached the UK authorities to ask that he be allowed to complete his sentence in Nigeria.

Ekweremadu, aged 63, was sentenced in 2023 to nine years and eight months in prison by a UK court. He was convicted alongside his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu, and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, for plotting to use a young Nigerian man as a kidney donor without proper consent. The plan was linked to getting a kidney for their daughter, Sonia, at a private hospital in London.

Nigeria sent a delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to meet with officials of the UK Ministry of Justice last week to request the transfer. However, the UK turned down the request, stating that there were concerns about whether Ekweremadu would remain in prison if sent back to Nigeria.

This case was the first time a conviction for organ trafficking was made in the UK under the Modern Slavery Act. During the court process, the victim was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in London in 2022 and presented falsely as a relative who had agreed to donate a kidney. The procedure was later cancelled by the hospital, but authorities were not alerted at that time.

The case later came to light when the victim escaped and reported the matter to the authorities, saying he feared being moved to Nigeria for another attempt. It also emerged that the doctor involved had earlier received a kidney transplant from another alleged victim and is now serving a 10-year prison sentence in the UK.

Beatrice Ekweremadu, who was given a sentence of four years and six months, has been released after serving part of her term and has returned to Nigeria. The UK government maintained that prisoner transfers are only approved after careful review and that such decisions are made based on whether justice would be served.

Nigeria’s effort to secure Ekweremadu’s return has sparked criticism among some Nigerians, while the Nigerian High Commission in London has not yet made an official comment on the decision.