*Might face money laundering charges

Records from the UK Court Thursday showed that Sen. Ike Ekweremadu denied the allegations of human trafficking leveled against him and his wife, Beatrice, by the the Metropolitan Police in London.

According to a report culled from the Daily Mail, Ekweremadu’s lawyer and his wife, Beatrice, were said to have spoken in favour of the accused apparently in a bid to get them admitted on bail.

The report which trended on social media was titled “What Ekweremadu’s lawyers said”.

The report reads: “Mr Ekweremadu in his prepared statement denied allegations of human trafficking.

“‘He said at no stage has he arranged transport for anyone with intention to exploit them.’

“Gavin Irwin, representing Ekweremadu, said: ‘There is no question this is a serious allegation. Mr Ekweremadu is a member of the Senate in Nigeria.

“‘He has previously held an even more senior role as Deputy President of the Senate.

“‘He is a member of the Bar in Nigeria. He is a principal in a law firm that bears his name.

“’Those issues taken together go way beyond him being a person of good character…rather that he has led a blameless life as a public servant.’

“Mr Irwin added that the allegations were ‘nothing short of preposterous’.

“Antonia Gray, lawywr for Mrs Ekweremadu, said: ‘She has never been complicit or involved in any alleged illegal trafficking of any young person.

‘She is a financial accountant with an unblemished record”.

The couple was arrested at Heathrow airport, on their way to Istanbul, Turkey and, according to the prosecutors, it is believed that they were on their way to procure another organ, as they were unable to harvest the organ of the boy. The prosecutors also stated that $20,000 was found on Ekweremadu.

According to sources, the red flag that stopped the organ from not being harvested came after the boy truthfully disclosed his age to the doctors at the Royal Free Hospital in the UK. The doctor reportedly cancelled the procedure.

The boy was taken from family who, according to the prosecutors, treated him like a slave, after he escaped and found his way to the Police, where an investigation started, leading to the arrest of the couple.

Magistrate Lois Sheard said: “These are serious allegations and these matters are now adjourned until 7 July back here at Uxbridge.”

Ms Sheard refused the duo any bail and ordered them into custody ahead of their hearing next month.

The Ekweremadus are charged with ‘conspiring to arrange or facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation….between 1 August 2021 and 5 May 2022 within the jurisdiction of Central Criminal Court’.

The investigation was launched by the Met’s Specialist Crime team after detectives were alerted to potential offences under modern slavery legislation in May 2022.

The Met Police has confirmed that the boy is safe and being looked after.

 Ekweremadu was held with Nwanneka Ekweremadu in Britain this month.

 Ekweremadu has been an elected senator at the Abuja-based parliament since 2003 after moving into politics after years as a lawyer.

His wife, five years his junior, is an academic and doctor and also a major public figure in Nigeria. They are believed to have four adult children.

The Metropolitan Police has said the child, who is under the age of 18, at the centre of the alleged plot is in care.

Organ harvesting involves removing parts of the body, often for cash and against the victim’s will.

Ekweremadu has been in the UK for at least the past fortnight having met with members of the Nigerian community in Britain in Lincoln around ten days ago. 

He tweeted: “It was a pleasure and an honour to receive a letter of appointment by the University of Lincoln, UK, as Visiting Professor of Corporate and International Linkages. I also got a highly treasured gift – a copy of the Magna Carta. It was created in 1215, about 807 years ago.”

The investigation was launched after detectives were alerted to potential offences under modern slavery legislation in May 2022, the force said.

Ekweremadu’s letter reveals victim’s identity

But in a letter dated December 28, 2021 and signed by the embattled lawmaker, the identity of the ‘trafficked child’ was revealed.

The letter, signed by Ekweremadu and addressed to the Visa Section of the British High Commission Abuja, revealed the victim’s name as Mr Ukpo Nwamini David.

The letter said Nwamini was scheduled to donate a kidney to Sonia, the lawmaker’s daughter, who is down with kidney failure and needed a kidney transplant to keep her alive.

In the letter, the lawmaker said he was writing in support of a visa applicant who was scheduled for “medical investigations for a kidney donation to Ms Sonia Ekweremadu.”

He said the donor and his daughter “will be at the Royal Free Hospital London”, adding that he would “be providing the necessary funding.”

 “I have enclosed a statement of my bank account,” the letter further stated.

It was gathered that the boy had already consented to the arrangement until his arrival in London where it was discovered that his kidney didn’t match that of Sonia.

As has been the case here in Nigeria, Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu’s media aide switched off his telephone lines last night, to avoid speaking on the matter.

However, it was gathered from Ekweremadu’s official Facebook account, statements which absolved the lawmaker.  

Putting up a defence for the him also, one Ikem Okuhu, on his Facebook page claimed Ekweremadu wasn’t involved in any organ trafficking.

The defence of sort, seems to have agreed with the lawmaker’s letter to the UK High Commission.

 “He (Ike) has a daughter who needs a kidney transplant and a willing donor was seen in Nigeria and travel preparations were made.

“Ike Ekweremadu did write to the British High Commission, explaining the situation and the donor travelled to the UK with the patient. The donor is a 21 year old man and not a girl as many are writing.

“He is not a minor and as it happened, the organ did not even match,” Okuhu narrated.

Okuhu further said: “Not wanting to return to Nigeria, the donor went to report that he was trafficked to London for possible organ harvest, believing the same would guarantee him asylum.” 

Recall that Nigerians had said that were the nation’s political leaders patriotic enough, they would have built several world-class hospitals across the country, rather than fleecing our scarce hard currency abroad on medical tourism.

*Additional reports from Daily Mail, UK