Ike Ekweremadu And Co-conspirators Receive Prison Sentences For Organ Harvesting Plot

In Summary:

• Former Nigerian Senator Ike Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and doctor Obinna Obeta were found guilty in a landmark modern slavery case involving organ harvesting.
• The victim, a young man from Lagos, was trafficked to the UK for a kidney transplant intended for the Ekweremadus’ daughter but managed to escape and report the crime.
• Ike Ekweremadu was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Beatrice to 6 years, and Dr. Obinna Obeta to 10 years and 6 months, highlighting the severity of organ trafficking crimes.

A landmark modern slavery case in the UK has resulted in prison sentences for Nigerian politician Ike Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and doctor Obinna Obeta for their roles in an organ harvesting plot.

Table of Contents

1. The Case
2. The Victim’s Testimony
3. The Sentencing

The Case

In a legal first, former Nigerian Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice Ekweremadu have been jailed for trafficking a young man from Lagos, Nigeria to the UK with the intention of harvesting his organs. The multi-millionaire couple, along with medical “middleman” Dr. Obinna Obeta, were found guilty at the Old Bailey in March.

The victim, a poor street trader, was brought to the UK to provide a kidney for the Ekweremadus’ 25-year-old daughter Sonia. The private £80,000 procedure was halted by the Royal Free Hospital, prompting the young man to flee in fear and report the incident to the police.

“People-trafficking across international borders for the harvesting 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.” – Mr. Justice Johnson

The Victim’s Testimony

During the trial, the victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, described his harrowing experience. He claimed to have discovered the true nature of the planned procedure during an initial consultation at the north London hospital.

In a statement read to the court, the victim expressed his fear and determination to not be a part of the organ trafficking scheme:

“I would never (have) agreed to any of this. My body is not for sale.”

The victim also expressed concerns for his own safety and the safety of his family in Nigeria, who had been visited and told to “drop” the case.

The Sentencing

In a televised sentencing, Mr. Justice Johnson acknowledged Ike Ekweremadu’s “substantial fall from grace” and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. Beatrice Ekweremadu received a sentence of 6 years, while Dr. Obinna Obeta was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months.

The judge emphasized the severity of the crime and the potential harm the victim could have faced if the transplant had proceeded, stating that the risks had not been properly explained and there had been no consent “in any meaningful sense”.