Court denies bail as Ex Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, wife, are arrested in UK for alleged organ harvesting
FORMER Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and wife Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, have been arrested and charged for taking a child to the United Kingdom for organ harvesting.
Their arrest was confirmed in a statement, by the metropolitan police who said they were charged to court on Thursday, following an investigation by the force’s specialist crime team.
The police added that the investigation was launched after detectives were alerted to potential offences under modern slavery legislation in May 2022.
“Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55 (10.9.66) of Nigeria is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting,” the statement reads.
“Ike Ekweremadu, 60 (12.05.62) of Nigeria is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.
“They have both been remanded in custody and will appear at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court later today.”
“A child has been safeguarded and we are working closely with partners on continued support.
The suspects were denied bail at press time
However, a letter from the suspects to the Visa Section of the British High Commission, backing the travel application of the boy for organ transplant came to light.
In the letter dated December 28, 2021, Ekweremadu said that the boy identified as Mr Ukpo Nwamini David was travelling to donate a kidney to Ms Sonia Ekweremadu, his daughter who was down with kidney failure and needed a kidney transplant to stay alive.
The letter said the medical investigation would be at Royal Free Hospital, London and that he, Ekweremadu would be providing the funding.
It was gathered that all the arrangements had been tied up with the boy’s family but that things went awry when after arriving the United Kingdom it was discovered that the boy whose age was given as 21 didn’t want to return to Nigeria as had been bargained.
It was gathered that the boy on the encouragement of a relative reported to the police that he had been trafficked to the United Kingdom for organ harvesting. He gave his age as less than 21.
The boy could not be reached at press time, but one Ikem Okuhu, who came to the defence of Ekweremadu on Facebook gave the perspective of the Ekweremadus on the organ transplant fiasco.
