Senator Ike Ekweremadu and wife found guilty of organ trafficking in UK

A former deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, have been found guilty of organ trafficking in the United Kingdom.

A medical doctor, Dr. Obinna Obeta, was also found guilty of facilitating the travel of a young man to the UK to exploit him and harvest his kidney for his sick daughter.

After a six-week trial at the Old Bailey, on Thursday, March 23, the jury found them guilty of conspiring to bring the 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London for exploitation.

According to reports, the judge, Justice Jeremy Johnson, will pass a sentence at a later date.

Background

Recall that Ike Ekweremadu and his wife were arrested by the UK Metropolitan Police Specialist team after conducting an investigation.

In a statement issued by the police, Ike Ekweremadu, 60 and his wife Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, has been charged with conspiracy to arrange and facilitate travel of a young man with the attempt to exploit and harvest his organ.

In May 2022, the former Senator and his wife were remanded into custody after investigations shows potential offences under the modern slavery legislation.

According to reports, the couple promised the young man £7,000 and opportunities in the UK for helping their daughter Sonia Ekweremadu.

It was gathered that medics at the London Royal Free Hospital rejected the man, saying he was not a suitable match for Sonia.

During a cross-examination, Ekweremadu was asked why he did not find a suitable match among his family members.

Ekweremadu responded saying it wasn’t an option for them.

Prosecutor Hugh Davies KC quizzed Ekweremadu why he failed to ask one of the specialists he consulted at the Royal Free if one of his family can donate kidney.

The former senator said he had limited intelligence, although the prosecuted described his response as false.

The judge asked Ekweremadu why he did not ask one of his daughter’s cousins to donate rather than risk a person he is unaware about.

He responded that he made an agreement through agents to recruit a donor who would donate a kidney to his daughter for a reward.

Ekweremadu also denied trying to transfer his daughter to from UK hospital to Turkey to seek medical care and under the transplant.

He told the court that he was the victim of a scam. His wife, Beatrice denied any knowledge of the alleged conspiracy.

However, WhatsApp messages showed to the court revealed that Obeta charged Ekweremadu 4.5m naira (about £8,000) made up of an “agent fee” and a “donor fee”.

Ekweremadu and Obeta admitted falsely claiming the man was Sonia’s cousin in his visa application and in documents presented to the hospital.

The judge, said Ekweremadu failed to hid to medical advice to find a donor for his daughter among genuine family members.

He said: “At no point in time was there ever any intention for a family member close, medium or distant to do what could be paid for from a pool of donors.”