UK Court sentence Senator Ike Ekweremadu to about nine years in prison for organ trafficking plot

UK court don sentence former Deputy Senate President of Nigeria Ike Ekweremadu to nine years eight months in prison for organ trafficking plot.

Di court also sentence im wife Beatrice to four years six months while di doctor wey help dem, dia medical 'middleman' Dr Obinna Obeta get 10 years and dem also suspend im medical license.

Dis na afta dem convict Ekweremadu, im wife and Obeta for March 2022 on top accuse of organ-trafficking plot say dem bring one 21-year-old man to di UK from Lagos.

Dem convict Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, im wife Beatrice, 56, and Dr Obinna Obeta, 50, say dem conspire to exploit di man for im kidney, in di first of such case under modern slavery laws.

Reports say na di first of such case under modern slavery laws.

Authorities say 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 medical personnel 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.

Di Old Bailey hear say di organ na for di couple daughter, Sonia wey be 25 years old.

Dem clear am of di same charge.

Breakdown of di sentence

Ike Ekweremadu, wey di judge describe as di "driving force throughout", dey sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison.

Dr Obeta dey sentenced to 10 years afta di judge find out say e target di potential donor wey dey young, poor and vulnerable.

Beatrice Ekweremadu dey sentenced for four years and six months due to say dem say involvement dey more limited.

'I no fit go home'

Inside one victim personal statement, di 21-year-old Nigerian market trader, wey no fit dey named for legal reasons, tell di court say e used to "pray every day" to get di opportunity to go UK to work or study.

E say to "make am happun" e agree to medical tests for Lagos and meetings with doctors inside London, as e believe say e dey required for im UK visa during di Covid pandemic.

Di 21-year-old say e only realise wetin dem dey plan wen e meet doctors for di Royal Free Hospital for London wey begin dey discuss about kidney transplant.

E tell di court e for no agree to am, as e add say: "My body no be for sale."

One charity for UK dey help di victim, according to im lawyer for Nigeria.

Inside im statement, di 21-year-old say e "no fit tink about going home to Nigeria", as "dis pipo dey extremely powerful and I dey worry for my safety".

Dem also say e refuse to apply for financial compensation from di Ekweremadu family, as e tell one detective say e "no need or want anytin from di bad pipo".

'First of im kind'

During one televised sentence hearing, Mr Justice Johnson recognise Ike Ekweremadu "ogbonge fall from grace".

E describe di politician as someone of high office with plenti properties, domestic staff, maids, chefs and drivers, compared with di victim weyy no fit afford £25 ticket to travel to Abuja.

E say Obeta bin lie to doctors say di young potential donor na cousin of di senator daughter wey urgently need transplant. Di three bin leave di potential donor to face "a long term impact on im daily life", e tok.

"Pipo-trafficking across international borders for di harvesting of human organs na a form of slavery," di judge add.

Lynette Woodrow, deputy chief crown prosecutor and national modern slavery lead for di Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), say na "our first conviction for trafficking for di purpose of organ removal for England and Wales".

She say e highlight important legal principle wey make am no dey important weda di trafficking victim know say e dey come UK to provide kidney.

"With all trafficking offences," Ms Woodrow tok, "di consent of di pesin wey dem dey trafficked no be defence. Di law dey clear; you no fit give consent to your own exploitation."

As di case dey go on, di Metropolitan Police and CPS bin dey work with hospitals and di Human Tissue Authority about actions dem suppose take wen dem see concerns about organ trafficking.

Timeline of Ekweremadu organ harvesting plot saga

Authorities arrest Ike Ekweremadu and im wife for June 2021 2022 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.

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.

Den for late March 2023, UK court find di former Nigerian Deputy Senate President, and im wife, plus one medical "middleman" guilty of organ-trafficking plot.

Dis na afta weeks of trials on top di organ trafficking plot mata for di Old Bailey.

Di court come fix dia sentencing to Friday 5 May, 2023 for UK.