The former deputy senate president and Beatrice, his wife, are facing charges bordering on conspiracy to arrange/facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting. The couple was arrested by London Metropolitan Police in June and appeared before a magistrate court in July.
Ekweremadu’s wife was granted bail on July 22.
At the court yesterday, the senator representing Enugu West asked that a new lawyer represents him. The police had alleged that David Ukpo, the reported victim at the centre of the organ harvesting allegation, is a 15-year-old but the court ruled that he is 21.
It had been reported that the former senator wrote to the UK High Commission in December 2021 to support a visa application for Ukpo.
In the letter, Ekweremadu said Ukpo was undergoing medical investigations for a kidney donation to Sonia Ekweremadu, his daughter, who needs a kidney transplant.
He said both Ukpo and Sonia will be at the Royal Free Hospital London.
Ekweremadu’s appearance in the UK court is the third time since his arrest. The politician is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He served three terms as Nigeria’s deputy senate president from 2007 to 2019 and has been a senator since 2003.
