UK Court sentence Ike Ekweremadu to 9 years in prison for organ trafficking
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A United Kingdom court has sentenced former Deputy Senate President of Nigeria Ike Ekweremadu to nine years and eight months in prison for organ trafficking plot.
The court also sentenced his wife Beatrice to four years six months while the doctor who helped them to do medical ‘middleman’ Dr Obinna Obeta also sentenced to 10 years and l also suspend his medical license.
The wealthy Nigerian politician, his wife and their “middleman” were convicted for traficking after bringing a man to the UK from Lagos.
Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, and his wife Beatrice, 56, wanted a new kidney for their 25-year-old daughter Sonia, the Old Bailey heard.
The pair and Dr Obinna Obeta, 50, were previously convicted of conspiring to exploit the man.
It is said to be the first such case under modern slavery laws.
Ike Ekweremadu, who was described by the judge as the “driving force throughout”, was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison.
Dr Obeta was sentenced to 10 years after the judge found he had targeted the potential donor who was young, poor and vulnerable.
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Beatrice Ekweremadu was jailed for four years and six months due to her more limited involvement.
Their victim, a poor street trader in Lagos, was brought to the UK to provide a kidney for the Ekweremadus’ daughter.
He fled in fear of his life and walked into a police station exactly a year ago to report what had happened after the Royal Free Hospital called a halt to the private £80,000 procedure.
During a televised sentence hearing, Mr Justice Johnson recognised Ike Ekweremadu’s “substantial fall from grace”.
He described the politician as someone of high office with multiple properties, domestic staff, maids, chefs and drivers, compared with the victim who could not afford a £25 ticket to travel to Abuja.
