UK Turns Down Nigeria’s Bid To Have Ekweremadu Serve Jail Term In Nigeria

The diplomatic push by the Federal Government to secure the transfer of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, to a Nigerian correctional facility has been unsuccessful, following a decisive rejection by the United Kingdom authorities.

Ekweremadu, 63, is serving a nine-year, eight-month prison term in the UK after a 2023 conviction for conspiring to exploit a young man for his kidney, allegedly intended for a transplant procedure meant to save his ailing daughter. His wife, Beatrice, and medical associate, Dr Obinna Obeta, were equally convicted for their roles in the scheme, which prosecutors branded as a calculated case of modern-day trafficking.

Investigators established that the victim had been lured to London under a false narrative, with claims he was related to Ekweremadu’s daughter and had willingly agreed to donate his kidney in exchange for £80,000. The planned operation was scheduled for the Royal Free Hospital before the plot unravelled.

Despite strong lobbying from Abuja, including last week’s high-level visit by Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, to the UK Ministry of Justice, officials in London have insisted the former lawmaker must remain within the British correctional system.

According to UK outlet The Guardian, a senior official at the Ministry of Justice confirmed that the request was declined over concerns that Nigeria could not provide credible guarantees that Ekweremadu would continue serving his sentence if transferred.

The source was quoted as saying: “The UK will not tolerate modern slavery, and any offender will face the full force of UK law.”