Former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and Doctor Obinna Obeta have been sentenced to prison by a judge at The Central Criminal Court, also known as the Old Bailey, in London. Ekweremadu was jailed for nine years and eight months, while his wife Beatrice was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment. Obeta received a 10-year prison term.
The three were convicted in March for organ trafficking, after arranging or facilitating a young Nigerian man’s travel to the United Kingdom in a bid to obtain his kidney on behalf of their sick daughter, Sonia. The jury found that Ekweremadu, his wife, and their doctor criminally conspired to bring the 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to exploit him for his kidney.
This is the first conviction under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015, and the sentencing comes after pleas from multiple prominent personalities and institutions, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Other petitioners included both chambers of the National Assembly, the Chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC).
The charges were preferred against the Ekweremadus on June 23, 2022, when their arrest was announced. Obeta was later arraigned on July 13, 2022. While his wife was granted bail, the senator was refused. After months of pre-trial, the trial commenced on January 31, 2023, and lasted about six weeks, culminating in a guilty verdict against Ekweremadu, Beatrice, and Obeta.
The sentencing of the former Deputy Senate President and his associates serves as a strong message against the heinous act of organ trafficking and exploitation, and highlights the UK’s commitment to combating modern slavery.
