Protests like Ekweremadu, wife appear before the British court

The human trafficking case against former Senate Vice President Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, resumed in a London court on Tuesday.

However, anti- and pro-Ekweremadu protests were held in front of the court before the proceedings.

AFP reported that there was a gathering of protesters ahead of the court proceedings, some of whom supported the legislature, while others opposed him.

Lawmaker and his wife were arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport in June 2022 on charges of flying a young man from Nigeria to the UK to harvest his organ.

The allegation added that the organ was intended for Ekweremadu’s daughter, Sonia, who is currently hospitalized with a kidney-related illness.

Some Nigerians had protested in Abuja in October 2022 against the continued detention of the legislator, who has now spent 223 days in the custody of British authorities.

Protesters again gathered outside the court on Tuesday to support the embattled legislator or to protest his continued detention in British custody.

“I mean, this case is unbelievable,” said one protester, Citizen Gbola, according to AFP.

“Where else in the world would you have a Deputy Senate President, who is still a serving Senator. He still gets his normal pay?”

According to the Daily Mail, Sonia was unable to come to court on Tuesday but asked permission with a psychological report from her team claiming she was not fit to stand trial.

When she appeared in court on 7 November 2022, she had pleaded not guilty to the charge of smuggling a homeless man into the UK to harvest his organs for himself.

The young man, who made the accusation against the Ekweremadus, told the Staines police station that he had to undergo some medical tests, which he did not agree to.

A 50-year-old South London doctor, Obinna Obeta, was also arrested in connection with the allegation.

During the proceedings at the Old Bailey court, Ekweremadu, who wore a gray tracksuit, only said “Yes ma’am” when asked to confirm his name.

Sitting next to the lawmaker in the dock and dressed in black was his wife who was released on bail in July 2022, while her husband would be at risk of flight.