UK rejects transfer of ex-deputy Senate President Ekweremadu to Nigeria prison

The United Kingdom government has declined request by the President Bola Tinubu government’s request to transfer the convicted ex-Senate President Ike Ekweremadu from UK prison to Nigerian prison to continue his 9-year sentencing over human organ trafficking.

Ekweremadu who hails from Enugu in the South Eastern Nigeria was sentenced alongside his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu and Doctor Obinna Obeta, having established by the UK Court that the trio were involved in trafficking a young man to London to harvest his kidney for Ekweremadu’s daughter.

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The United Kingdom has a new Slavery Act that firstly got Ekweremadu convicted within its provisions.
Lately, the Federal Government of Nigeria proposed to the United Kingdom government to allow transfer of its citizen Ekweremadu from their prison, assuring that he will serve his jail term in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar recently led a delegation to the United Kingdom for Ekweremadu’s repatriation, but the request was declined, CAPITAL POST had gathered.

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The United Kingdom authority allayed fears that Ekweremadu is a high profile and politically exposed person and may not serve the remainder of his jail terms in Nigeria if the transfer was successful.

The UK Justice Ministry said prisoner transfers are approved only when they “serve the interests of justice.”

CAPITAL POST recalled that Ekweremadu’s wife had completed her jail term of 4 years which ran concurrently and was back in the country.

Meanwhile, the prosecution of Ekweremadu by the UK Court was right on time and expeditious before he was handed down his sentencing alongside the medical doctor Obeta who was jailed for 10 years with two-thirds of which must be spent in prison.

During the Old Bailey sentencing, the judge described the plot as a “despicable trade” and a “dramatic fall from grace” for Ekweremadu, who was portrayed as the mastermind.

Evidence showed the victim was falsely presented as a family member and offered for an £80,000 transplant before fleeing in fear.

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