In the first conviction of its sort under the Modern Slavery Act, Ike Ekweremadu, 60, a former vice president of the Nigerian senate, his wife, and a doctor, were found guilty of organ trafficking.<\/p>\n
After a six-week trial at the Old Bailey, the Nigerian politician, his wife Beatrice, 56, and Dr. Obinna Obeta, 51, were convicted guilty of aiding the flight of a young man to Britain for the purpose of his exploitation.<\/p>\n
The jury determined that they conspired to transport the 21-year-old street vendor from Lagos to London in order to abuse him for his kidney.<\/p>\n
The court heard that the man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was offered an illegal reward to become a kidney donor for the senator’s daughter after kidney disease forced her to drop out of a master’s programme in cinema at Newcastle University.<\/p>\n
In February 2022, the man was brought to a private kidney unit at London’s Royal Free hospital as Sonia’s cousin in an unsuccessful attempt to convince doctors to perform an \u00a380,000 transplant.<\/p>\n
The court heard that a medical secretary at the hospital worked as an Igbo translator between the man and the physicians in an effort to persuade them that the man was an altruistic donor.<\/p>\n
Hugh Davies KC, the prosecutor, told the court that Ekweremadus and Obeta viewed the man and other potential donors as “disposable assets \u2014 reward-based replacement parts.”<\/p>\n
He stated that they engaged in a “emotionally apathetic business transaction” with the individual.<\/p>\n
Davies told the jury that Ekweremadu’s behaviour demonstrated “entitlement, dishonesty, and hypocrisy.” Ekweremadu, a prominent lawyer and founder of an anti-poverty charity who helped draught Nigeria’s laws against organ trafficking, exhibited “entitlement, dishonesty, and hypocrisy,” Davies said.<\/p>\n
According to him, Ekweremadu, who owns multiple properties and employs 80 people, “decided to reward someone for a kidney for his daughter – a poor person from whom he distanced himself and made no queries, and with whom, for his own political security, he desired no direct touch.”<\/p>\n
Davies continued, “What he decided to do was not merely in Sonia’s clinical best interests; it was exploitation and it was illegal.” The claim that he behaved out of love for his daughter is not a valid defence. Her therapeutic needs cannot be met at the expense of exploiting a poor person.”<\/p>\n
Ekweremadu, who rejected the charge, said the court that he had been duped. Obeta, who also rejected the charge, stated the individual was acting altruistically and was not offered a reward for his kidney. Beatrice denied any awareness of the claimed plot. Sonia did not offer evidence.<\/p>\n
Obeta charged Ekweremadu 4.5 million naira (about \u00a38,000) in “agent fee” and “donation fee,” as evidenced by WhatsApp texts presented in court.<\/p>\n
Ekweremadu and Obeta admitted claiming fraudulently that the man was Sonia’s cousin on his visa application and medical records.<\/p>\n
Davies stated that Ekweremadu disregarded medical advice to find a donor for his daughter from within his own family. He stated, “There was never any plan for a close, medium, or distant relative to perform work that might be compensated for by a pool of donors.”<\/p>\n
Mr. Justice Jeremy Johnson, the judge, will pass judgement at a later date.<\/p>\n
BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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