Court orders NIMC to release Ekweremadu organ donor’s bio-data to AGF, orders AGF to transmit same to UK

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to release a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the bio-data information of David Nwamini Ukpo, the young man meant to donate his kidney to their ailing daughter of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

Justice Ekwo also ordered the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to forward transthe said bio-data to the court in United Kingdom where Senator Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice are facing trial over alleged trafficking of a minor for the purpose of organ harvesting.

The fresh order was made following NIMC’s refusal to release the said document to lawyers of the Ekweremadus who are currently held in the United Kingdom.

An earlier had directed NIMC and some banks to hand the information to Ekweremadu and his wife but was neglected.

In an originating summon marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2022, dated and filed June 27 by their counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, the couple said the information were for the purposes of facilitating the criminal investigation and tendering same to establish their innocence with respect to Ukpo’s age.

The court had on July 1, ordered NIMC, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), United Bank for Africa (UBA), and Stanbic IBTC to release a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the biodata information of Ukpo to Ekweremadu to enable them defend themselves.

The variation became necessary in view of information by lawyer to the NIMC that the standard procedure was for the bio data to be released to the AGF.

NIMC had, through its lawyer, Muazu Mohammed, approached the court with an application seeking to set aside the court’s order on the grounds that its laws forbid it from releasing details of persons in its custody to an individual.

Mohammed told the court that his client could not comply with the earlier issued order because it was not served with hearing notice before the order was made against it.

He, however, noted that such documents could be handed over to the AGF who would then submit to its counterpart in the UK.

Ekweremadu’s lawyer, Chief Awomolo, did not object to the release of the document to the AGF and the judge subsequently made an order directing NIMC to release the bio-data information of Ukpo to the AGF.

Ruling, Justice Ekwo ordered NIMC to submit the Ukpo’s personal information to the AGF for onward transmission to UK court.

The Metropolitan Police had two weeks ago, arrested Ekweremadu and his wife, for allegedly trafficking a minor to the UK for exploitation and organ harvesting, an offence punishable by prison terms in the UK.

The duo denied any wrong doing, saying that contrary to the position of the UK Police, the said donor, is not a minor and was neither tricked or induced to donate his organ for their ailing daughter who is currently in a London hospital.

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