Organ Harvesting: Ekweremadu, Wife, Medical Doctor Bag 24 Years Jail Term
THE Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, United Kingdom has sentenced Ike Ekweremadu, Nigeria’s former deputy senate president, to nine years and eight months in prison for organ harvesting.
His wife, Beatrice, was handed four years and six months jail term during the sentencing on Friday, BBC reports.
On 23 March, the jury pronounced a guilty verdict on the senator, his wife, Beatrice, and Obinna Obeta, a doctor who acted as the middleman.
The jury held that they conspired to bring a 21-year-old at the centre of the matter to London to exploit him for his kidney.
The verdict is the first of its kind under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 of the United Kingdom.
The sentencing follows their conviction in March when they were found guilty of flying in a Nigerian man to obtain his kidney for the couple’s sick daughter, Sonia. Sonia was cleared of any wrongdoing.
The three were found guilty after arranging or facilitating a young Nigerian man’s travel into the United Kingdom in a bid to obtain his kidney on behalf of Sonia.
The jury said Ekweremadu, his wife and their doctor criminally conspired to bring the 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to exploit him for his kidney.
The sentencing comes after pleas from multiple prominent personalities and institutions, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Other petitioners included both chambers of the National Assembly; the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa; and the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC).
The charges were preferred on the Ekweremadus on 23 June 2022, when their arrest was announced. Obeta was later arraigned on 13 July 2022. While his wife was granted bail, the senator was refused.
After months of a pre-trial, the trial commenced on 31 January 31, 2023, and lasted about six weeks, culminating in a guilty verdict against Ekweremadu, Beatrice, and Obeta.
Eighteen-Eleven Media
