Former Nigerian Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice have been sentenced to jail for organ trafficking in the United Kingdom.
It is alleged that the couple wanted the organ for their daughter, 25-year-old Sonia, and had conspired with one Dr. Obinna Obeta to exploit a young man for his kidney. The victim, a poor street trader from Lagos, was brought to the UK to provide a kidney for the Ekweremadu's daughter but fled in fear for his life after the Royal Free Hospital called a halt on the £80,000 private procedure.
Their case marks the first conviction under modern slavery laws and is a significant win in the fight against human trafficking. Ike Ekweremadu, described by the judge as the “driving force throughout”, received a sentence of nine years and eight months in prison. Dr. Obeta was sentenced to ten years in prison for targeting the young, poor, and vulnerable donor, while Beatrice Ekweremadu was jailed for four years and six months for her limited involvement.
Mr. Justice Johnson recognized Ike Ekweremadu’s “substantial fall from grace” during a televised sentence hearing. Ekweremadu was described as someone of high office with multiple properties, domestic staff, maids, chefs, and drivers compared to the victim who could not afford a £25 ticket to travel to Abuja. The judge described people trafficking across international borders for organ harvesting as a form of slavery.
The case underscores the urgent need to combat trafficking in persons for organ harvesting, which is a serious human rights violation and a form of modern-day slavery. Its impact is felt worldwide, and continued efforts are needed to eradicate human trafficking in all its forms.
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