Crime Judiciary

Ekweremadu, Wife Bag Jail Term in UK

By Web News 1174

The United Kingdom court has sentenced former Deputy Senate President of Nigeria, Ike Ekweremadu, to nine years and eight months in prison for an organ trafficking plot.

The court also sentenced his wife, Beatrice, to four years six months while the medical doctor who acted as a ‘middleman’ in the plot, Dr Obinna Obeta, was sentenced to 10 years and his medical license was also suspended.

According to reports, in March 2023 that the jury found they criminally conspired to bring a 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to exploit him for his kidney.

The young man was said to have been falsely presented as Sonia’s cousin in a failed bid to persuade doctors to carry out an £80,000 private procedure at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

The young man was said to have been offered an illegal reward to become a donor for Sonia after kidney disease forced her to drop out of a master’s degree in film at Newcastle University.

Their conviction was the first verdict of its kind under the Modern Slavery Act.

Details later…

Punch/Adebukola Aluko

Crime

UK Court Convicts Ekweremadu, wife of Organ Trafficking

By Web News 377

Former Nigerian Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, his wife, daughter and a doctor have been convicted of organ trafficking, in the first verdict of its kind under the Modern Slavery Act. 

According to a UK medium, The 60-year-old politician, his wife, Beatrice, 56, daughter Sonia 25, and Dr Obinna Obeta, 51, were found guilty of facilitating the travel of a young man to Britain with a view to his exploitation after a six-week trial at the Old Bailey. 

They criminally conspired to bring the 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to exploit him for his kidney, the jury found.

The judge, Justice Jeremy Johnson, will pass a sentence at a later date, UK medium reports.

Vanguard/Oluwayemisi Owonikoko

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Crime

We are not responsible for Ekweremadu’s ordeal- EFCC

By Web News 406

Embattled former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, told Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was responsible for his travails at the London Court, where he had been in detention over alleged organ harvest.

Ekweremadu’s allegations were contained in an application he filed before the Nigerian court seeking an order of the court to set aside an interim order granted in favour of the Federal Government for forfeiture of his 40 properties in the country and outside the country.

The ex-Deputy Senate President, in an application by his counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), claimed that the forfeiture order was granted to the Federal Government in error because the EFCC suppressed information and facts in respect of the properties.

Specifically, the Senator who has been detained since June 21, 2022, alleged that the EFCC fraudulently obtained the forfeiture order for the government by concealing information that the investigation on the 40 properties started as far back as 2008.

He said that the anti-graft agency deliberately refused to disclose to the court that he was in London detention and would not be able to counter the forfeiture request.

Ekweremadu, therefore, prayed to the court to set aside the forfeiture order and stay proceedings in the matter until he resolves his ordeal before the London Court.

However, counsel to the EFCC, Silvanus Tahir (SAN), denied that the commission was behind Ekweremadu’s ordeal.

Punch/Simeon Ugbodovon

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Lifestyle

Hope for Ekweremadu’s Daughter as Lady Offers her Kidney

By Web News 564

A 24-year-old lady, Annastasia Michael, has written an open letter to the daughter of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Sonia, offering to donate one of her kidneys to save her life.

This is coming after the 25-year-old Sonia Ekweremadu made an appeal to members of the public to donate a kidney to save her life.

Responding to the appeal in a Facebook post on Monday, Annastasia said she was ready to offer one of her kidneys to Ekweremadu if none of her family members could do that, adding that it is to prove that women can help women.

Annastasia also said she is donating for free, praying that her kidney should match Sonia’s.

She disclosed that she had already forwarded a mail to the email address provided by Sonia.

Kidney donation To Sonia Ekweremadu.

I (Annastasia Michael Olamma) want to donate one of my kidneys to Sonia Ekweremadu to save her life. I have made up my mind to do this to prove women can help women.

If any of her relatives mum, dad, and siblings, cannot give out their kidneys to save their Bloodline, Then I will donate my own to save Sonia and I demand nothing in return. I pray it matches with her own.

I am 24 years old , I don’t take alcohol, and I believe my kidney is very healthy to donate.

I have sent a message to her email @[email protected] and anticipate her reply.

May God heal you

womensupportingwomen

helpsonialive

sonialivematters.

Punch/Titilayo Kupoliyi

Judiciary

UK Court Ruling Clears Ekweremadu over Case of Minor

By Web News 490

The Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court in the United Kingdom has ruled that the kidney donor in Ekweremadu’s case, David Ukpo is not a minor.

Both Ekweremadu and his wife appeared in court today and they pleaded not guilty to the charge of organ harvesting while the case has been transferred to the Central Criminal Court. Prosecutors were said to have told the court on Thursday that all the available evidence provided showed that the said donor is actually 21 years old and not 15 years old as widely reported.

With this ruling, respite is underway for Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, despite the fact that they will be remanded in custody until the next hearing, August 4, 2022.

The focal point of the Ekweremadus legal predicament is majorly around Ukpo’s age debate – the allegation that they brought a 15-year-old child (a minor) to the UK to harvest his organs.

With the controversies surrounding Ukpo’s age addressed by the fresh ruling, the coast is a bit clear, and supporters of the former Deputy Senate President who have been in the background will now be more encouraged to show open solidarity.

Meanwhile, some members of the Senate and delegates from the Nigeria High Commission were present at the hearing in the UK today.

Those who attended include Former National Publicity Secretary for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisah Metuh; former Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnanya Abaribe, former Senate President, David Mark and former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba.

Vanguard/ Oluwayemisi Owonikoko

Crime

Organ Harvesting: FG Engages Lawyers to Defend Ekweremadu

By Web News 529

The Federal Government through the Nigerian High Commission to the United Kingdom has hired lawyers to defend a former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, over allegations of organ harvesting.

The Senate President Ahmad Lawan who disclosed this after a closed-door session of the chamber on Wednesday, added that a delegation of the Chamber would on or before Friday this week visit Ekweremadu and his wife in London.

Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice were last week arrested and arraigned at Oxbridge Magistrates Court in London.

The Court ruled that the former Deputy Senate President and his wife be remanded in custody till July 7, 2022, which is the next adjournment date.

The fact-finding-visit according to Lawan would be undertaken by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa.

He said that the lawmakers were briefed about Ekweremadu’s travail during the closed session and also apprised of the role the Nigerian High Commissioner to United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafadeen Ishola, has been playing to ensure that Ekweremadu gets all needed assistance

He commended the High Commissioner and his team for the work they are doing in providing needed consular support for Ekweremadu.

“The High Commission has been providing all Consular Services including the engagement of lawyers to defend Ekweremadu,” Lawan said.

He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been engaged and is currently providing diplomatic support to Ekweremadu.

He assured Ekweremadu’s family that the Senate would work to get all needed support for Ekweremadu and his wife to overcome the present challenge.

He said: “Because the issue is already in court, there a limit to which we can say on the matter. We assure the family we will continue to do our best to support him.”

The Nation/ Oluwayemisi Owonikoko

Politics

Ekweremadu Pulls out of Enugu Governorship Race

By Web News 478

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has withdrawn from the Enugu State governorship race.

Ekweremadu said he would not participate in today’s governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party in Enugu State.

This was contained in a statement made available to our correspondent on Wednesday morning by his campaign organisation.

Ekweremadu, who is currently representing Enugu West Senatorial District at the Senate, was a foremost governorship aspirant in the state before announcing his withdrawal.

On Tuesday, the former governor of old Anambra State Senator Jim Nwobodo had announced that Enugu East Senatorial zone had adopted Dr Peter Mbah as the next governor of Enugu State.

He also said that Senator Ekweremadu had given his support for Peter Mbah to succeed Ugwuanyi, although the governor had yet to openly endorsed anybody as his successor.

However, in a swift reaction, Ekweremadu campaign organisation said it was false.

But on Wednesday morning, in what appeared a new twist, the campaign organisation issued a statement titled “Senator Ekweremadu won’t participate in PDP primary election”.

The statement signed by Ikeoha Campaign Organisation, Hon Charles Asogwa, read “I wish to inform our supporters and Nigerians that the former Deputy President of the Senate and foremost governorship aspirant in Enugu State, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, will not be participating in the PDP governorship primary election scheduled for this Wednesday, May 25, 2022.

“Meanwhile, we continue to trust God as we appreciate our teeming supporters and the good people of Enugu State for the enormous goodwill they have ceaselessly invested in the actualisation of the “Pathway to a New Enugu State”.

“We urge them to remain peaceful and be assured that we will keep them abreast of our decision on the way forward.”

Punch/Adetutu Adetule