Former Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, and medical doctor Obinna Obeta are set to be sentenced today, Friday, May 05, 2023, in a UK court after being convicted for organ trafficking in March.
This marks the first verdict under the Modern Slavery Act, and the trio could face up to 10 years in prison for violating the Act.
The trio were found guilty of organ trafficking by a United Kingdom court. The jury found that they conspired to bring the victim to London to exploit him for his kidney.
Their conviction follows a six-week trial at London's Central Criminal Court, the Old Bailey, where they were found guilty of conspiracy to arrange for the travel of a young Nigerian man, David Nwamini, to the UK, in order to exploit him for his kidney. The organ was needed for Ekweremadu's daughter, Sonia, who is ill.
During the trial, the prosecutor, Hugh Davies, accused Ekweremadu of showing "entitlement, dishonesty, and hypocrisy."
However, Ekweremadu and his wife denied any knowledge of the conspiracy, claiming that they were victims of a scam. Obeta also denied the charge, saying that Nwamini was not offered a reward for his kidney and was acting altruistically.