FG opens talks with UK on possible transfer of Ekweremadu to Nigeria

FG opens talks with UK on possible transfer of Ekweremadu to Nigeria

LONDON/ABUJA — The Federal Government has begun diplomatic discussions with British authorities over the possible transfer of former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who is currently serving a nine-year jail term in the United Kingdom for organ trafficking.

A high-powered Nigerian delegation met with officials of the UK Ministry of Justice in London on Monday as part of ongoing efforts to explore legal and humanitarian options for Ekweremadu’s repatriation.

The delegation included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN). They were later received at the Nigerian High Commission in London by the Acting High Commissioner, Ambassador Mohammed Maidugu.

According to credible diplomatic sources, the mission was initiated under the directive of President Bola Tinubu, who is said to be exploring avenues for either an early release or a sentence review for the embattled former lawmaker.

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“We are working on an appeal for a prisoner exchange for him to serve the remainder of his term in Nigeria,” a top official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Daily Trust under condition of anonymity.
“Consultations are still ongoing with the UK authorities.”

Government officials familiar with the talks said discussions focused on possible prisoner-transfer arrangements, compassionate parole, or other relief measures permissible under UK law.

Ekweremadu, who served as Deputy President of the Senate from 2007 to 2019, was convicted by the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) in March 2023, alongside his wife, Beatrice, and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta.

The trio was found guilty of conspiring to traffic a young Nigerian man, David Nwamini, with the intent to harvest his kidney for transplantation to Ekweremadu’s ailing daughter.

He was later sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison, while his wife received a four-year, six-month jail term.

Diplomatic sources say the Tinubu administration is treading carefully, balancing legal realities with humanitarian considerations, as negotiations with the British government continue.

FG opens talks with UK on possible transfer of Ekweremadu to Nigeria