Organ-Harvesting: Have Mercy On Ekeweremadu – House Of Reps Begs UK Government Ahead Of May 5 Judgement

 

Nigeria’s House of Representatives has asked the United Kingdom to ‘temper justice with mercy’ on Senator Ike Ekweremadu ahead of the May 5 Judgement

 

 Justice Jeremy Johnson will pass a sentence on the former Deputy Senate President of Nigeria on May 5, 2023, in a UK court.

In March, the Old Bailey Court in London, UK found Senator Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta guilty of an organ-harvesting plot involving a London NHS hospital.

They were found guilty of conspiring to exploit a young man from Lagos for his body part.

Ekweremadus’ 25-year-old daughter Sonia, who was to receive a kidney donation from the trafficking victim, wept as she was cleared of the same charge by the court.

The former Deputy Senate President and his wife were arrested in the UK and charged with trafficking of a 21-year-old street trader from Lagos, for organ harvesting with intent to provide a kidney to Sonia in an £80,000 private transplant at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

On Tuesday, Toby Okechukwu, a member of the House, made the appeal by drawing attention to what he described as Ekweremadu’s contributions to the Commonwealth of Nations.

He also noted that Ekweremadu’s intentions were to save the life of his sick daughter, Sonia, and not to commit a crime.

He said Ekweremadu had been a source of assistance to many Nigerians in need of help.

The Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, also pleaded for clemency for Ekweremadu, saying he had no prior convictions.

He described Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice as upright citizens and asked the UK court to consider their sick daughter who would still need her parents’ care.

The federal lawmakers urged the Nigerian government to intervene, saying there should be back channels for diplomatic intervention.

The House made the resolution on Tuesday after adopting a motion sponsored by Okechukwu, a lawmaker from Enugu.