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

Uk court don find Nigerian Senator Ike Ekweremadu and im wife plus one medical “middleman” guilty of one organ-trafficking plot, wey involve one 21-year-old man wey dem carry come UK.

Dem find 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.

Di Old Bailey 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.

E dey alleged say di defendants bin dey try to convince medics for Royal Free by pretending say im be Sonia cousin, wen dem no dey related.

While e dey lawful to donate a kidney, e go become criminal offence if e carry reward of money or oda material advantage.

Royal Free consultant, Dr Peter Dupont, bin conclude say di donor no dey suitable afta e understand say e no get any counselling or advice about di risks of surgery and e no get funds for di lifelong care e go need.

Wen dem reject am say e no dey suitable, di court hear say di Ekweremadus bin transfer dia interest go Turkey and begin find anoda donor.

Dem launch investigation afta di young man run away from London and sleep roughly for days before e waka go one police station for Staines for Surrey and dey cry in distress.

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

Di Ekweremadus, wey get one address for Willesden Green, north-west London, and Dr Obeta, from Southwark, south London, don deny di charge against dem.

Dis na di first time dem go find defendants guilty under di Modern Slavery Act of organ-trafficking conspiracy.

Sentencing go hold on 5 May.

Beatrice Ekweremadu work for di Nigerian auditor general's office and get PhD in accountancy

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UK court find Ike Ekweremadu and wife guilty of organ trafficking

While e dey lawful to donate a kidney, e go become criminal offence if e carry reward of money or oda material advantage.

Wen dem reject am say e no dey suitable, di court hear say di Ekweremadus bin transfer dia interest go Turkey and begin find anoda donor.

Di Ekweremadus, wey get one address for Willesden Green, north-west London, and Dr Obeta, from Southwark, south London, don deny di charge against dem.

Dis na di first time dem go find defendants guilty under di Modern Slavery Act of organ-trafficking conspiracy.

Sentencing go hold on 5 May.

Lagos street market

Sonia Ekeremadu

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Sonia Ekweremadu wey need kidney transplant bin also dey on trial

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

Diwe Ekweremadu, wey dey Nigeria, tok to one of im former classmate, Dr Obeta, of Southwark, south London, wey recently do private kidney transplant for di Royal Free wit a Nigerian donor.

Dr Obeta come engage wit Dr Chris Agbo, of Vintage Health Group, one medical tourism company, wey also be agent to arrange visa for di donor, di court hear.

Dem recruit di victim wey sabi di man wey donate im kidney to Dr Obeta from one Lagos street market wia e dey make small-small money from selling phone accessories from a wheelbarrow.

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

IKE EKWEREMADU/FACEBOOK
UK Court find Ike Ekweremadu and wife guilty of organ trafficking

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?

Pesin hold box

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UK Court find Ike Ekweremadu and wife guilty of organ trafficking

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.