The wife of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Mrs. Beatrice Ekweremadu, has returned to Nigeria after being released from a UK prison.
Her release follows her involvement in a high-profile case that led to her conviction and imprisonment in the United Kingdom.
In March 2023, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and a medical doctor, Dr. Obinna Obeta, were convicted in the UK for conspiring to bring a young Nigerian man to the country for the purpose of organ harvesting.
The victim, a 21-year-old street trader from Lagos, was reportedly lured with promises of financial compensation and opportunities in the UK.
He was brought to the UK to donate a kidney for the Ekweremadus’ daughter, Sonia, who required a transplant.
The court heard that the victim realized the true intent only after meeting with doctors at the Royal Free Hospital in London. The defendants had allegedly presented the victim as Sonia’s cousin to mislead the hospital staff.
Senator Ike Ekweremadu was sentenced to 10 years and 8 months in prison. Mrs. Ekweremadu received a 4-year and 6-month sentence, while Dr. Obinna Obeta was sentenced to 10 years and had his medical license suspended.
This case was historic as it was the first organ-trafficking conviction under modern slavery laws in the UK.
While Mrs. Ekweremadu has completed her sentence and returned to Nigeria, Senator Ekweremadu remains in custody in the UK.
