Citing EFCC’s Letter, London Court, Again, Denies Ekweremadu Bail

By Adesina Soyooye

Citing a letter from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on the forfeiture of properties by former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, as one of its reasons, a London Court on Tuesday, again, denied him bail.

Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, were arrested at the Heathrow Airport on arrival from Turkey in June 2022. They were alleged to have trafficked a 21-year old man to London for the sole purpose of harvesting his organ without his consent.

Ekweremadu’s 25-year old daughter, Sonia, who has now, also, been charged to Court is suffering from a life threatening kidney disease, and requires a kidney transplant. But the 21-year old said he was deceived by the Ekweremadus into going to London, without being told it was for organ harvesting.

He reported his predicament  to the Police when the family in whose house he was, pending the organ harvesting, allegedly, began to treat him like a slave, when he refused the procedure.

Since then, Ekweremadu and his wife have been under prosecution in London. While his wife was granted bail after about two months in custody, Ekweremadu remains in jail.

Every application for bail has continued to fail.

On Tuesday, December 20, hopes were high that Ekweremadu would be granted bail. All documents for the expected bail were ready, and presented to the Court. There was a letter from the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, to the Court that Ekweremadu is no flight risk. There was a letter from the Nigeria’s High Commissioner in Britain saying the same thing. There were attestations by highly placed Nigerians which affirmed to Ekweremadu’s good character, until the case at hand. There were documents to show the works he had done for the Nigerian Government, and especially, the National Assembly and internationally. There were letters which attested to the positions he had held. A group of Nigerians have agreed, in a letter, that they would stand as sureties, and  deposit a £500,000 bail bond. There was even the request to tag Ekweremadu electronically to monitor his movement.

But the hopes were dashed. The Judge said he was not convinced that Ekweremadu is not a flight risk during the pre-trial hearing on Tuesday at the Central Criminal Court, London.

Reports  say all the arguments adduced to convince the Court otherwise  fell flat when the Court cited the letter of  assets forfeiture proceedings against Ekweremadu sent to it by the EFCC.

The letter, dated 18th July 2022 by the EFCC signed on behalf of the Executive Chairman, Abdulraheed Bawa, by the Assistant Director Operations, Abdulkarim Chukkoi, referred to the assets forfeiture proceedings against Ekweremadu at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

He, also, said the Senator had two other International Passports, aside from Nigeria’s, and could flee to any of those countries instead of Nigeria.

While refusing the bail application, the Judge said: “I am entirely satisfied there remains a flight risk,” and pointed out  that given Ekweremadu bail would  make no difference “as the trial is just over a month away.”

Ekweremadu, had a couple of weeks ago, accused the EFCC of being responsible for his ordeal in London. The EFCC flatly denied the allegation, saying that as is the norm, it only shared information with sister-agencies.

Ekweremadu’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), however, insisted that the EFCC worked against Ekweremadu’s bail application in July.

He accused the EFCC of deceitfully obtaining an interim assets forfeiture order against the lawmaker by withholding vital information from Justice Inyang Ekpo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

EFCC’s Counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), dismissed the role the letter played as a mere coincidence.

Ekweremadu will spend both Christmas and New Year in jail, as his trial has been scheduled to begin on 31st January 2023.