UK Court find Senator Ekweremadu and im wife guilty of organ-trafficking

UK court don find one former Nigerian Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and im wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu plus one medical "middleman" guilty of one organ-trafficking plot, wey involve one 21-year-old man wey dem carry come UK.

Di 60-year-old senator and im wife Beatrice, 56, and Dr Obinna Obeta wey be 50-year-old dey convicted on top accuse say dem conspire to exploit di man for im kidney, in di first of such case under modern slavery laws.

Old Bailey jury hear say di organ na for di couple daughter, Sonia, wey be 25-year-old.

Di court don clear her of di same charge.

Dem carry di victim wey be street trader for Lagos go UK last year to provide im kidney for inside one £80,000 private transplant for di Royal Free Hospital for London.

Di prosecution say dem offer am up to £7,000 and promise am opportunities for UK for, and e na only wen e meet doctors for di hospital, e realise wetin dey go on.

Dem allege say di defendants bin dey convince medics for di Royal Free as dem pretend say di victim na Sonia cousin, wey no well and dey collect dialysis every week, wen dem no relate.

Royal Free consultant, Dr Peter Dupont, bin conclude say di donor no dey suitable afta dem sabi say im no get any counselling or advice on top di risks of surgery and e no get money for di lifelong care e go need.

Di court hear say di Ekweremadus later transfer dia interest go Turkey and begin dey find anoda donor.

Police launch investigation afta di young man run away from London and sleep rough for days before e waka enta one police station for Staines, for Surrey, crying and in distress.

E tell police say: "Di doctor say I too young but the man say if you no do am here, im go carry me go back Nigeria and do am there."

Lagos street market

Jurors hear say Sonia bin dey study for a masters degree for Newcastle University wen she fall sick for December 2019.

For 2021, her father say make im medically-trained brother, Diwe Ekweremadu, help am find donor, di court hear.

Diwe Ekweremadu, wey remain for Nigeria, follow one former classmate, Dr Obeta, wey dey live for Southwark, south London tok. E just open one private kidney transplant for di Royal Free wit one Nigerian donor.

Dr Obeta come engage Dr Chris Agbo, wey get Vintage Health Group, one medical tourism company, plus one agent to help arrange visa for di donor, di court hear.

Di victim, wey sabi di man wey don donate im kidney to Dr Obeta, dey recruited from one Lagos street market wia e dey make money everyday from selling phone accessories from wheelbarrow.

'Tears for court afta conviction'

Sonia, wey decline to give evidence, just dey cry for court as di jury clear her. She hug her father wit tears for her eyes as di court say make e remain for custody wit oda guilty defendants ahead of sentencing on 5 May.

Di prosecution confam say di maximum sentence for organ harvesting case na one of life.

Following di convictions, Chief Crown Prosecutor Joanne Jakymec describe di conspiracy as a "horrific plot".

"Di convicted defendants show disregard for di victim welfare, health and well-being and use dia considerable influence to a high degree of control throughout, as di victim get small understanding of wetin dey really go on here," she add.

Det Insp Esther Richardson, of di Metropolitan Police, commend di victim for im bravery in speaking against di offenders.

She add say di police, di Crown Prosecution Service and Human Tissue Authority teams bin "work tirelessly" on di case, wey be di first time wey defendants go dey convicted under di Modern Slavery Act of organ-trafficking conspiracy.

Di Ekweremadus, wey get address for Willesden Green, north-west London, and Dr Obeta bin deny di charges against dem.

How Met Police arrest Ekweremadu and im wife Beatrice

Ike Ekweremadu and im wife chop arrest afta investigation by di UK Metropolitan Police Specialist team.

Met Police bin tok for inside one statement wey dem share wit BBC Pidgin say:

"Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55 [born 10th September, 1966] of Nigeria dey charged wit conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of anoda pesin wit a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.

Ekweremadu, 60 [born 12th May, 1962] of Nigeria dey charged wit conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of anoda pesin wit a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting," di statement tok.

Met Police bin remand di suspects for custody.

Dem launch di investigation afta detectives dey alerted to potential offences under modern slavery legislation for May 2022.

Met Police bin say dem safeguard di child and dem dey work closely wit partners for more support.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu profile

Ike Ekweremadu na former Nigerian Deputy Senate President.

Di serving lawmaker na ogbonge politician for Nigeria and im don dey Senate since 2003.

Ekweremadu na from Enugu State and im serve as di deputy denate president for di 6th, 7th and 8th Nigerian Senate

Di Senator hold both bachelor's and master's degree in law from di University of Nigeria and dem call am to bar in 1987.

Im also hold Doctor of Philosophy degree in law from di University of Abuja.

Di politician belong to di opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Ekweremadu bin get di ambition to contest for di 2023 govnorship election for Enugu but im withdraw from di PDP primaries hours before di election.

Di politician tok say im bin make plans and develop strategies to transform di state but some pesins work against am.

Wetin be organ harvesting?

Organ harvesting essentially na ‘killing on demand’, dis na di selling and transplanting of organs of victims.

Na wetin international society for human right tok.

Dem say organ harvesting dey take place for various kontries for di world, especially in China, India, and on the Sinai Peninsula.

Organ harvesting simply mean di surgical procedure wey go illegally remove organs or tissues for reuse, mainly for organ transplantation.

Sometimes e dey happun against di will of di organ owner.

E also mean di removal, preservation and use of human organs and tissue from di bodies of di recently dead pesin to be used in surgical transplants on di living.