President Bola Tinubu has sent a high-level delegation to London to engage with UK authorities regarding the case of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who has been imprisoned in the United Kingdom since March 2023.
The delegation, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar and Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, met with officials from the UK Ministry of Justice on Monday to discuss possible legal and diplomatic solutions, including the potential for Ekweremadu to serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria.
According to Alkasim Abdulkadir, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the consultations are ongoing as the Nigerian government explores options for a prisoner transfer agreement.
Ekweremadu, along with his wife Beatrice and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, was convicted in March 2023 of organ trafficking under the UK Modern Slavery Act.
The case involved a 21-year-old man who was falsely presented as a relative of the Ekweremadus’ daughter, Sonia, in an attempt to secure a kidney transplant at a London hospital. The young man later reported the situation to authorities, revealing that he had been misled with promises of work in the UK.
Ekweremadu was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison, while Beatrice received a four-year, six-month sentence, and Obeta was given a 10-year term.
Beatrice was released in January 2025 and has since returned to Nigeria. This case marked the first organ-trafficking conviction under the Modern Slavery Act and sparked international attention.
The Nigerian government’s current diplomatic efforts reflect its interest in addressing the high-profile case and ensuring due process for Ekweremadu.