Beatrice Ekweremadu, wife of former Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has returned to Nigeria following her release from custody in the United Kingdom.
Mrs Ekweremadu arrived in Abuja on Tuesday, January 21, 2026, after completing the custodial portion of her sentence in connection with an organ-harvesting conspiracy case. She was received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by family members and close associates.
Her return marks her first visit to Nigeria since the case began in 2022. Reports indicate that residents of her hometown, Mpu, in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, acknowledged her return, while her husband remains incarcerated in the UK.
Mrs Ekweremadu was convicted in May 2023 by the Old Bailey in London and sentenced to four years and six months’ imprisonment for conspiracy relating to the trafficking of a 21-year-old Lagos-based trader to the United Kingdom for the purpose of kidney removal.
The organ was intended for the couple’s daughter, Sonia Ekweremadu, who suffers from a chronic kidney condition.
The case was prosecuted under the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act 2015, marking the first time the legislation was applied to an organ-harvesting-related offence.
Under UK sentencing guidelines, non-violent offenders may be released on licence after serving half of their custodial sentence. Her release was also reportedly influenced by administrative measures introduced by UK authorities to ease prison overcrowding.
Despite his wife’s return to Nigeria, Senator Ike Ekweremadu remains in a UK correctional facility. He was sentenced in May 2023 to nine years and eight months’ imprisonment after the court found him to be a central figure in the conspiracy.
The case continues to draw attention in Nigeria and abroad, given its legal significance and the high-profile status of those involved.
