By Adedapo Adesanya
A court in the United Kingdom, the Old Bailey, on Friday, May 5, sentenced former Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Mr Ike Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, following their conviction for organ trafficking in March.
In violation of the Modern Slavery Act, Mr Ekweremadu will remain in prison for nine years and eight months, while his wife will serve for four years and six months.
Dr Obeta, their medical middleman, was handed a 10-year jail term after it was also found that he lied on paperwork for his own kidney transplant in 2021 and knew “it was possible to manipulate and corrupt the regulatory system” in the UK.
The presiding Judge Johnson said he had considered making a substantial compensation order to the victim, but the victim is “adamant” he does not want any money from “the bad people”.
The verdict is the first of its kind under the Modern Slavery Act (2015).
The trio of Mr and Mrs Ekweremadu and Dr Obeta were convicted of conspiracy to arrange the travel of a young Nigerian man, identified as David Nwamini, to Britain in order to exploit him for his kidney.
The organ was needed for Mr Ekweremadu’s sick daughter, Sonia, who was found not guilty.
Their trial lasted six weeks, and conviction at the Old Bailey, London’s Central Criminal Court.
The prosecutor, Hugh Davies, told the jury that the behaviour of Mr Ekweremadu showed “entitlement, dishonesty and hypocrisy”.
Mr Ekweremadu and his wife denied the charge and denied any knowledge of the alleged conspiracy.
They also told the court they were the victim of a scam.
Dr Obeta, on his part, also denied the charge, claiming that the man was not offered a reward for his kidney and was acting altruistically.
This means all pleas for clemency by many quarters, including the Nigerian legislative bodies — Senate and House of Representatives, fell on deaf ears.
Also, the former President of Nigeria, Mr Olusegun Obasanjo, had written to the British authorities pleading on behalf of the legislator to temper justice with mercy while delivering the sentence.
Also, an Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo, and the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) had joined the fray asking the British authorities for leniency on the embattled lawmaker.
