The United Kingdom has formally rejected Nigeria’s request to transfer former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice to serve the remainder of their prison sentences at home, with British authorities citing the seriousness of their organ-trafficking crimes and lack of eligibility under the prisoner-transfer agreement.
Ekweremadu, 63, is serving a nine-year, eight-month sentence while Beatrice, 57, was handed four years and six months after the couple was convicted in March 2023 at the Old Bailey for conspiring to exploit a young Nigerian street trader in a bid to harvest his kidney for their sick daughter.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Justice had invoked the 1988 Repatriation of Prisoners Act and a bilateral treaty, arguing that both countries are signatories and that Ekweremadu’s status as a high-profile former lawmaker warranted compassionate consideration.
A UK Ministry of Justice spokesperson confirmed the refusal on Monday, stating: “All applications are considered on their individual merits. In this case, the seriousness of the offence and the fact that the victim was a vulnerable Nigerian citizen trafficked to the UK weighed heavily against approval.”
Sources familiar with the decision told ANN that London viewed the couple’s crime as “particularly egregious” because it involved the exploitation of a fellow Nigerian on British soil, making repatriation politically unpalatable.
Ekweremadu’s legal team expressed disappointment, with lead counsel Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, saying: “We respect the UK’s sovereign decision but will explore every legal avenue, including appeal to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.”
The former senator, once one of Nigeria’s most powerful politicians, has served roughly 20 months of his sentence in HMP Thameside. His daughter Sonia, for whose transplant the plot was hatched, was cleared of charges.
