This is not the best of time for the family of former Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremmadu, 60 residing at Willesden Green, north-west London and wife Beatrice, 56, as a London jury on Thursday pronounced him guilty of organs harvesting under the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA 2015).
The 12-man jury led by Justice Jeremy Johnson (5 males, 7 females, 2 of whom are blacks] further pronounced his medical adviser “middleman” Dr Obinna Obeta, 50, residing at Southwark, south London guilty of conspiracy just as it revoked the bail earlier enjoyed by the wife.
However, their sick daughter Sonia, 25, one of four children of Ekweremmadu, studying a master’s degree at Newcastle University but forced out of school due to the illness and beneficiary of the kidney donation was acquitted and released as she wept uncontrollably in court.
The donor, David Ukpo, 21, was absent in court as the trio awaits sentencing May 5.
The United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA 2015) provides that “Under s 2, an individual commits an offence if they arrange or facilitate the travel of another with a view to that person being exploited. It is irrelevant whether that person consents to the travel, or whether they are a child or an adult.
“Under s 3 of MSA 2015, exploitation includes: slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour; sexual exploitation (which involves the commission of an offence under s 1(1)(a) of the Protection of Children’s Act 1978 (indecent photographs of children), or Pt 1 of SOA 2003 (eg, rape or sexual assault); removal of organs where a person is encouraged required or expected to do anything which involves the commission of an offence under ss 32 or 33 of the Human Tissue Act 2004 (prohibition of commercial dealings in organs and restrictions on use of live donors); securing services etc by force, threats or deception; securing services etc from children and vulnerable persons (eg, physically or mentally ill or disabled).”
The London Metropolitan Police in May, 2022 arrested and slammed the Ekweremmadu’s with organs harvesting charges at the Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court.
The prosecution alleged that Ukpo, a street trader from Lagos, was brought to the UK to provide kidney to Ekweremmadu’s sick daughter Sonia for an £80,000 private transplant at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
The prosecution claimed the donor was offered up to £7,000 and the promise of a better life in the UK. It was alleged the defendants tried to convince medics at the Royal Free by pretending he was Sonia’s cousin when, in fact, they were not related.
However, investigations commenced after the young man ran to a police station after many rough days, crying and seeking help.
Court diary revealed that earlier in September 2021, Ekweremmadu enlisted the help of his medically-trained brother, Diwe Ekweremadu, to search for a donor.
Diwe, who is in Nigeria, contacted his former classmate Dr Obeta, of Southwark, south London, who has a private kidney transplant at the Royal Free for assistance.
Dr Obeta then engaged Dr Chris Agbo, of Vintage Health Group, a medical tourism company to arrange a visa for the donor.
As the travel plan progressed, Sonia was encouraged to establish a relationship with the donor through text messages.
However, Royal Free consultant, Dr Peter Dupont, concluded that the donor was not an appropriate candidate after learning he had no counselling or advice about the risks of surgery and he lacked funds for the lifelong care he would need.
Ukpo it was learnt, informed the police at Staines police station, that he did not understand why he had been brought to the UK until he met Dr Dupont.
“The doctor said I was too young but the man said if you do not do it here, he would carry me back to Nigeria and do it there.
“I was sleeping three days outside around, looking for someone to help me, save my life.”
WhatsApp messages showed to the court revealed Obeta charged Ekweremadu 4.5m naira (about £8,000) made up of an “agent fee” and a “donor fee”.
In his prosecution Joanne Jakymec said: “This was a horrific plot to exploit a vulnerable victim by trafficking him to the UK for the purpose of transplanting his kidney.
“The 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.”
Leading investigating officer, detective inspector Esther Richardson, from the Met’s Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation team, said: “This conviction sends out a clear message across the world, the UK will not tolerate the international industry in illegal organ removal.
“We could not have achieved this conviction without the help of one man, the victim survivor. I commend him for his utmost bravery.”
The prosecutor Hugh Davies KC told the court the Ekweremadus and Obeta had treated the man and other potential donors as “disposable assets – spare parts for reward”. He said they entered an “emotionally cold commercial transaction” with the man.
He said Ekweremadu “agreed to reward someone for a kidney for his daughter – somebody in circumstances of poverty and from whom he distanced himself and made no inquiries, and with whom, for his own political protection, he wanted no direct contact”.
Davies added: “What he agreed to do was not simply expedient in the clinical interests of his daughter, Sonia, it was exploitation, it was criminal. It is no defence to say he acted out of love for his daughter. Her clinical needs cannot come at the expense of the exploitation of somebody in poverty.”
Ekweremadu, who denied the charge, told the court he was the victim of a scam. Obeta, also denied the charges, claiming the donor was not offered a reward and was acting altruistically. Beatrice denied any knowledge of the alleged conspiracy just as Sonia did not give evidence.
