Ekweremadu: House Of Reps Appeals To UK Government To Temper Justice With Mercy

By Akinwale Kasali

As Nigerians hold their breath and await the sentencing, in the United Kingdom, UK, of Senator (Dr) Ike Ekweremadu, a former Deputy Senate President, and his wife, Dr Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, the  House of Representatives has appealed to the  UK Government to be lenient with husband and wife.

The House asked to the UK Government to temper justice with mercy.

The Ekweremadus were found guilty by a Jury in the UK of human trafficking and planned organ harvesting of a young Nigerian.

They had taken the young, allegedly, unsuspecting street trader from Lagos to London with the sole purpose of harvesting his kidney for a transplant on their 25 year old daughter, Sonia, who has been suffering from a severe Kidney disease.

According to the UK Police, the business went awry when the victim ran to a Police Station to report his travails after a Doctor at the hospital he was taken to found out he was not a willing donor, was unaware of why he was brought to the UK, except that he was promised a better life, the sum of about eight thousand British Pounds and told to say he is Sonia’s Cousin.

The victim claimed he had to go to the Police when the attitude of those he was asked to stay with changed towards him. He ran away and after, according to him, three difficult days and nights in the streets, went to the Police to report.

The Ekweremadus were arrested at Heathrow Airport, London, in June 2022, on their arrival from Turkey. Since then, Senator Ekweremadu has been in custody after their first arraignment. His wife was released on bail after weeks in custody, a courtesy not extended to the Senator. He was regarded as a flight risk inspite of all assurances from a number of individuals, ready to take him on bail, and a letter from the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

However, Mrs Ekweremadu was taken back into custody a few weeks ago when both were found guilty, along with a London-based Nigerian born doctor, Dr Obinna Obeta, who, like the Senator has been in custody since June, 2022. Obeta was said to be the go-between.

Sentencing is on May 5, 2023.

On Tuesday, 2nd May, 2023,  the House of Assembly wrote to the UK Government following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance raised by a member, Toby Okechukwu, during the plenary session of the House.

The Lawmakers, also, pleaded that the UK Court “tempers  justice with mercy” in the sentencing of the lawmaker and also urged the Federal Government to take diplomatic steps to intervene in the case of the Ekweremadus.

It was decided by the House that the Clerk of the House  “convey” their resolutions in writing to the British Embassy, the UK Government and the British Parliament.

Before now, former President Olusegun  Obasanjo had written to the Uk Government and  to be lenient in its decision on Ekweremadu, saying that he was just a victim of circumstance, even though that does not excuse what he did.

There is no evidence, anywhere, that the Federal Government of Nigeria, has intervened in the case so far.