Ekweremadu, wife appears before British court

He, along with his wife Beatrice, daughter Sonia and a doctor, are accused of bringing a 21-year-old man from Nigeria to have his kidney removed.

Prosecutors said the defendants reportedly planned to have a kidney removed from the man so it could be given to Sonia.

She was unable to come to court as she is currently hospitalized with an unknown condition.

Her defense team also filed a psychological report claiming she is not fit to stand trial.

The court was adjourned shortly after the convening to allow prosecutors to read the report.

The prosecutor is said to have raised the alarm after he refused to agree to the procedure following preliminary tests at a north London hospital.

After the man went to the police, a report was made. The Ekweremadus were arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport in June last year after being flown to the UK.

Another man, Obinna Obeta, a 50-year-old South London doctor, was later arrested.

The trial has been brought forward from a scheduled date in May.

Ekweremadu is a senator for the opposition People’s Democratic Party for Enugu State in southeastern Nigeria.

The Ekweremadus and the Doctor are charged with conspiracy to arrange another person’s travel for the purpose of exploitation, under British modern slavery law.

The crime allegedly took place between August 2021 and May 2022.

Ike Ekweremadu had rejected his bail request over concerns he might flee Britain.

Obeta was also detained. Beatrice and Sonia Ekweremadu are out on parole.

Beatrice, dressed all in black, sat next to her husband on the dock during the brief hearing on Tuesday morning.

Supporters and protesters gathered around the London court ahead of Tuesday’s hearing.

“I mean, this case is unbelievable,” protester Citizen Gbola said.

“Where else in the world would you have a Deputy Senate President — who is still a serving Senator, still getting his regular pay?”

AFP