On Friday, a court sitting in the United Kingdom sentenced former deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu to nine years and eight months for organ harvesting.
His wife, Beatrice was handed four years and
six months in jail while their doctor, Obinna Obeta, was sentenced to ten years
improvement; his medical licence was also withdrawn.
The former deputy senate President was
arrested by the London Metropolitan Police and was subsequently arraigned on
organ harvesting and trafficking charges involving a young man, David Ukpo,
whom he was said to pick up from the streets of Lagos State for that purpose.
But Ekweremadu and his wife had pleaded not
guilty to the charges while Nigeria’s National Assembly pleaded for clemency.
But on Friday, Justice Jeremy Johnson held
that the actions of the lawmaker was serious and amounted to a form of slavery
because he was wealthy but leveraged on it to arrange the travel of a lad that
could not travel from Lagos to Abuja.
“In each of your cases, the offence you
committed is so serious that neither a fine nor a community sentence can be
justified.
“People-trafficking of human organs is a form
of slavery.
“It treats human beings and their body parts
as commodities to be bought and sold.
“It is a trade that preys on poverty, misery
and desperation, ” Justice Johnson said.
Speaking to Ekweremadu, his wife and doctor,
the judge described them as accomplices.
The judge frowned on Ekweremadu’s doctor
citing the prosecution’s evidence that he lied that the victim was the
lawmaker’s daughter’s cousin.
“You each played a part in that despicable
trade.”
“People trafficking across international
borders for the harvesting of human organs is a form of slavery,” the judge
said while sentencing them.
The development drew the reaction of the
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is the principal public agency that
conducts criminal prosecutions in England and Wales.
“This was a horrific plot to exploit a
vulnerable victim by trafficking him to the UK for the purpose of transplanting
his kidney.
“The convicted defendants showed utter
disregard for the victim’s welfare, health, and well-being and used their
considerable influence to a high degree of control throughout, with the victim
having limited understanding of what was really going on here,”Chief Crown
Prosecutor, Joanne Jakymec said.
From the UK Met’s Modern Slavery and
Exploitation Command, described the judgment as a “landmark conviction” and
commended the donor for his bravery in speaking against the lawmaker.
“We could not have done this without the help
of our colleagues in the CPS, Human Tissue Authority, and other partners who
have worked tirelessly to achieve this result.
“We do understand the challenges around
modern slavery cases as no two investigations are the same. Specialist officers
from the Met’s Modern Slavery and Exploitation team understand this and we will
ensure victims are supported, signposted, and safeguarded with the help of
partners,” the Command said.
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