UK Court Convicts Former Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu, Wife And Doctor Over Organ Trafficking

After a six-week trial at the Old Bailey, former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; his wife Beatrice and their doctor have been convicted of organ trafficking.

The sentence for the three accused has been set for a later date, when the Judge, Justice Jeremy Johnson, will make the pronouncements.

By Thursday, March 23rd, the verdict was in for the six weeklong  trial. The former Deputy Senate President, his wife and their doctor were convicted of organ trafficking.

The jury said Ekweremadu, his wife and their doctor criminally conspired to bring the 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to exploit him for his kidney.

However, the lawmaker’s daughter, Sonia, was cleared by the court.

The prosecutor Hugh Davies KC told the court the Ekweremadus and Obeta had treated the man and other potential donours as “disposable assets – spare parts for reward”.

He argued that the doctor entered an “emotionally cold commercial transaction” with the young man from Lagos.

The behaviour of Ekweremadu showed “entitlement, dishonesty and hypocrisy”, Davies told the jury.

Ekweremadu denied the charges and allegations brought against him, telling the court he was the victim of a scam.  Obeta, who also denied the charge, claimed the man was not offered a reward for his kidney and was acting altruistically.

While Sonia did not give any evidence, her mother, Beatrice, denied any knowledge of the alleged conspiracy.

-Texts excluding headline by Channels