A former deputy president of the Nigerian Senate and his wife are accused of trafficking a teenager they met on the streets of Lagos and passing him off as 41 to harvest his organs for their ailing daughter in London, according to a court hearing.
Ike Ekweremadu, 60, and Beatrice Ekweremadu, 55, are accused of transporting the destitute child from Nigeria to the UK in order to transplant his organs to their daughter, who has renal failure.
A court heard yesterday that the 15-year-old was given the passport of a 41-year-old in order to enter the UK, but he had no idea he was there to donate a kidney until he went to a hospital appointment in London.
He had a series of medical meetings about kidney donation after arriving in the city in February, but a consultant at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, North London, allegedly became concerned about the boy’s true age and if he realized he was there to give an organ.
Mr. Ekweremadu has been an elected senator in the Abuja-based senate since 2003, after working as a lawyer for many years.
His wife, who is five years his junior, is an academic and doctor, as well as a prominent public personality in Nigeria. They are thought to have four grown children. Both deny any involvement in the boy’s trafficking.
Prosecutor Damla Ayas told Uxbridge Magistrates Court yesterday: ‘The victim was 15. In Nigeria he was approached by both defendants. He was homeless on the streets of Lagos. They deceived him and promised him a better life in the UK. He was given a passport for a 41-year-old. The passport was illegally obtained by these defendants.
‘He was provided with a medical travel visa saying the purpose of the travel was to provide medical treatment for the defendants’ daughter who was undergoing dialysis in relation to a number of health issues.
‘It was premeditated, it was planned. Blood tests were obtained in Nigeria and he travelled to the UK in February this year.
‘He was taken to several medical appointments in particular a medical appointment at the Royal Free Hospital and was spoken to by a consultant about the organ harvesting for a kidney transplant.
‘The consultant was concerned about his actual age and was concerned he was not aware he was the donor of the kidney. He only found out that the purpose of his visit was for an organ transplant when he visited the hospital.
Last month, police were made aware of suspected violations of modern slavery legislation.
Ekweremadu has been in the United Kingdom for at least a fortnight, having met with members of the Nigerian community in Lincoln around ten days ago.
He tweeted: ‘It was a pleasure and an honour to receive a letter of appointment by the University of Lincoln, UK, as Visiting Professor of Corporate and International Linkages. I also got a highly treasured gift – a copy of the Magna Carta. It was created in 1215, about 807 years ago’.
The couple was arrested by police two days ago at Heathrow Airport as they attempted to board a flight to Turkey, where the procedure was suggested, the court heard.
According to prosecutors, Ekweremadu, 60, had £20,000 on him at the time of his arrest.
Officials say the child is now in the care of safeguarding authorities and the Metropolitan Police.
Ekweremadu and his accountant wife Beatrice, 55, are accused of conspiring to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person for the purpose of exploitation, specifically organ harvesting.
At Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court yesterday, the senator wore a grey sweater and his wife wore a black and white knitted cardigan.
Prosecutor Damla Ayas said: ‘It is conspiracy in relation to human trafficking offences for the purposes of organ harvesting. The victim in this case is 15 years old
‘They the couple were interviewed at the police station. Both of the defendants have provided a prepared statement.
‘Mr Ekweremadu in his prepared statement denied allegations of human trafficking.
‘He said at no stage has he arranged transport for anyone with intention to exploit them.’
His wife similarly denied the allegations in her prepared statement, the court heard.
Gavin Irwin, representing Ekweremadu, said: ‘There is no question this is a serious allegation. Mr Ekweremadu is a member of the senate in Nigeria.
‘He has previously held an even more senior role as deputy president of the senate.
‘He is a member of the bar in Nigeria. He is a principal in a law firm that bears his name.
‘Those issues taken together go way beyond him being a person of good character…rather that he has led a blameless life as a public servant.’
Mr Irwin added that the allegations were ‘nothing short of preposterous’.
Antonia Gray, for Mrs Ekweremadu, said: ‘She has never been complicit or involved in any alleged illegal trafficking of any young person.
‘She is a financial accountant…with an unblemished record.’
The couple have an address they could stay at in Willesden, northwest London, the court heard.
The prosecutor made an application to adjourn matters for 14 days.
Ms Ayas said: ‘In respect of these offences Attorney General consent is required and the Crown require 14 days for that to be obtained.’
Magistrate Lois Sheard said: ‘These are serious allegations and these matters are now adjourned until 7 July back here at Uxbridge.’
Ms Sheard remanded both defendants into custody ahead of their hearing next month.
The Ekweremadus are charged with ‘conspiring to arrange or facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation….between 1 August 2021 and 5 May 2022 within the jurisdiction of Central Criminal Court’.
Organ harvesting is the removal of bodily parts for monetary gain and sometimes against the victim’s consent.
The investigation was initiated after detectives were alerted to probable violations of modern slavery legislation in May 2022, according to the force.
In 2017, a former Nigerian government official stated that migrants from his nation were being sold into slavery and having their organs removed.
Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Nigerian aviation minister, alleged that 75% of slaves whose organs are taken in North Africa are from his nation.
The Cambridge University-educated lawyer added that the victims have their ‘bodies mutilated’ and are ‘roasted like suya [shish kebabs]’.
He went on: ‘Roasted alive! This is what Libyans do to sub-Saharan Africans who are looking for a transit point to Europe.
‘They sell them into slavery and either murder, mutilate, torture or work them to death.’