On a Friday, a court in the United Kingdom
sentenced Ike Ekweremadu, a former deputy
Senate President of Nigeria, to nine
years and eight months in prison for organ harvesting. His wife, Beatrice, was
handed a sentence of four years and six months, while their doctor, Obinna
Obeta, received a sentence of ten years and had his medical license withdrawn.
According to reports by THE WHISTLER, the
former deputy senate president was arrested by the London Metropolitan Police
for organ harvesting and trafficking charges involving a young man named David
Ukpo, whom he picked up from the streets of Lagos State. Both Ekweremadu and
his wife had pleaded not guilty to the charges while Nigeria’s National
Assembly had pleaded for clemency on their behalf.
However, Justice Jeremy Johnson held that the
actions of the lawmaker were serious and amounted to a form of slavery because
he was wealthy and leveraged his wealth to arrange the travel of a young man
who could not travel from Lagos to Abuja. He further stated that
people-trafficking of human organs is a form of slavery that preys on poverty, misery,
and desperation.
In his ruling, the judge described Ekweremadu,
his wife, and the doctor as accomplices and condemned the doctor for lying that
the victim was the lawmaker’s daughter’s cousin. The judge stated that they
each played a part in the despicable trade of human organs and that
people-trafficking across international borders for the harvesting of human
organs is a form of slavery.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the
principal public agency that conducts criminal prosecutions in England and
Wales, reacted to the development, describing it as an horrific plot to exploit
a vulnerable victim by trafficking him to the UK for the purpose of
transplanting his kidney. The CPS further stated that the convicted defendants
showed utter disregard for the victim’s welfare, health, and well-being and
used their considerable influence to a high degree of control throughout.
The UK Met’s Modern Slavery and Exploitation
Command described the judgement as a “landmark conviction” and commended the
donor for his bravery in speaking against the lawmaker. The Command also
thanked its partners for their tireless efforts in achieving the result and
assured victims of modern slavery cases that they would be supported,
signposted, and safeguarded.
