Tinubu sends delegation to UK to negotiate Ekweremadu’s transfer to Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has sent a high-level delegation to London to discuss the case of Ike Ekweremadu, former deputy senate president, jailed in the UK since March 2023.

The delegation comprises Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs; and Lateef Fagbemi, attorney general and minister of justice.

The team arrived in London on Monday and met with officials of the UK’s ministry of justice.

Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s spokesperson, told TheCable on Tuesday that the presidential delegation was in London to consult with the UK authorities to explore possibilities of Ekeweremadu serving the remainder of his prison term in Nigeria.

THE EKWEREMADU CASE

The Ekweremadus were arrested by the London Metropolitan Police in June 2022, after a man was falsely presented to a private renal unit at Royal Free hospital in London as a cousin to their daughter Sonia, in what turned out a failed attempt to persuade medics to carry out an £80,000 transplant.

The 21-year-old man, who was allegedly promised work in the UK, reported the matter to the police in May of the same year, stating that he was brought to the country for an organ transplant.

In March 2023, the former presiding officer of Nigeria’s red chamber was found guilty of organ trafficking by a UK court.

Beatrice, his wife, and Obinna Obeta, a doctor involved in the case, were also found guilty.

It was the first verdict of its kind under the UK Modern Slavery Act.

On May 5, 2023, Ekweremadu was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison, his wife was sentenced to four years and six months, and Obeta was handed a 10-year prison term.

In his judgment, Jeremy Johnson, the trial judge, ruled that Beatrice should spend half of the sentence in custody and on licence for the rest of the sentence.

However, in January, Beatrice was released from prison and returned to Nigeria.