Ekweremadu faces jail sentence for organ harvesting in landmark UK judgement today

On Friday, the man who used to serve as the deputy president of Nigeria’s Senate could be sentenced to anywhere from ten years to life in prison in Britain for his involvement in a plot to steal a healthy man’s kidney in order to give it to his sick daughter.

Ike Ekweremadu, 60, was found guilty in March at London’s Old Bailey criminal court of conspiring to traffic the young street trader into Britain for his body part. This was the first case in the United Kingdom of its kind, and it took place in London. Ekweremadu’s wife, Beatrice, who is 56 years old, and Obinna Obeta, who is 50 years old and served as a go-between in the scheme, were both found guilty as well. They, too, will have their sentences handed down on Friday.
After nearly 14 hours of deliberation, the jury decided that the Ekweremadus’ daughter Sonia, who is 25 years old, was not guilty of the same charge. Sonia wept as they announced their decision.

Donating a kidney is not allowed in exchange for money or other goods in the United Kingdom, despite the fact that the practice is legal there.

It was the first time that charges for a conspiracy involving organ harvesting had been brought in the United Kingdom under the Modern Slavery Act of 2015.

Under the terms of the legislation, the maximum possible sentence is life in prison.

The Metropolitan Police’s Modern Slavery and Exploitation Command’s Detective Inspector Esther Richardson referred to the conviction as a “landmark conviction” and expressed gratitude to the victim for his “bravery” in coming forward with information.
The victim, a 21-year-old man from Lagos who cannot be named for legal reasons, testified during the trial that the Ekweremadus had flown him to Britain in order to harvest his kidney. The victim’s testimony lasted for several weeks.

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It was speculated that Sonia, who has a renal condition and continues to receive dialysis treatment, would receive the kidney in exchange for a payment of up to £7,000 ($8,800).

The man claimed that a doctor who worked for the politician had recruited him, and that he had been under the impression that he would be coming to the UK to work.
The prosecution told the court that he didn’t learn it was for a kidney transplant until he was transported to the Royal Free Hospital in London the previous year.

After some preliminary tests, the doctors there informed him that he would not be a suitable donor. He ran away and slept on the streets for three days after they broke the news to him.
The court was told that eventually he walked into a police station and said he was “looking for someone to save my life.” This occurred in May of last year.

Ike Ekweremadu told the jury that he feared he was being “scammed,” despite the insistence of the attorneys for the four accused that their client was acting “altruistically.”

Since 2003, Ekweremadu has been the People’s Democratic Party’s representative for the Enugu West constituency, which is located in the southeast region of Nigeria.

This week, leaders in Nigeria’s parliament made an appeal to a court in London for clemency. They argued that Ekweremadu was a first-time offender who had made valuable contributions to politics in West Africa, and they argued that the court should show him mercy.

Due to the fact that he was detained both before and during the course of the trial, he did not participate in the most recent National Assembly elections.

The judge at the trial agreed with the prosecutors that it was possible for him to attempt to flee the UK. His daughter and wife had been freed on bail, subject to certain conditions.

According to Chief Crown Prosecutor Joanne Jakymec, it was a “horrific plot,” and she accused the defendants of having “utter disregard for the victim’s welfare, health, and wellbeing.”

There are approximately 7,000 people in the United Kingdom who are currently waiting for a kidney transplant from a suitable donor while approximately 20 people are diagnosed with kidney failure every single day. This results in the need for extended dialysis treatment.

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Fiona Loud, policy director at the charity Kidney Care UK, told AFP that informed consent is “a vital part of the organ donation programme” and that thorough checks are made to ensure that “no coercion” is used during the donation process.

She described voluntary donations as “an act of great generosity” in her speech.