Organ Harvesting: Ike Ekweremadu Back In Court

After 43 days in detention, the trial of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, resumes today, Thursday, August 4, 2022.

Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu, were on June 23, 2022, arrested in the UK by London Met Police and charged with conspiracy to traffic a child to the United Kingdom in order to harvest organs.

According to the prosecutors, the couple has a daughter who has a kidney-related disease and has been on dialysis for quite some time.

They added that they believe the plan was to use an organ from the boy on their daughter who needs a kidney transplant.

In a turn of events, David Nwamini (the alleged victim of trafficking) told doctors he was 15 and was coerced by the Ekweremadus into donating his kidney.

However, the Nigerian government said all its records show that Nwamini was not a minor and was 21 years old.

The Westminster Magistrate Court in the United Kingdom later ruled that he is not a minor.

The Ekweremadus are facing charges of conspiring to traffick a person for organ harvesting in violation of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The case was transferred to Central Criminal Court in London popularly known as Old Bailey where Mrs Ekweremadu was granted bail on stringent conditions.

The senator was denied bail because he was said to be a flight risk.

The trial preparation hearing resumes today and a subsequent trial next year.