In a shocking turn of events, Ike Ekweremadu, a former Deputy Senate President of Nigeria, his wife, Beatrice, and Dr. Obinna Obeta have been found guilty of organ trafficking in the United Kingdom.
This trio were apprehended last year for their heinous crime of bringing a young man from Nigeria to the UK with the sole intention of harvesting his organs.
This conviction marked the first verdict of its kind under the Modern Slavery Act. The Ekweremadus, along with their daughter, Sonia, and Obeta had been standing trial at the Old Bailey for their involvement in this horrendous act.
Their greed and insensitivity knew no bounds, as they conspired to bring a 21-year-old young man from the streets of Lagos to London, to exploit him of his kidney, which was required for Sonia after she had to drop out of a master’s degree in film at Newcastle University due to kidney disease.
According to reports, the young man was falsely presented as Sonia’s cousin at the Royal Free Hospital in London to carry out a private procedure
The prosecutor, Hugh Davies KC, revealed how the Ekweremadus and Obeta treated the young man and other potential donors as “disposable assets – spare parts for reward”. They entered into an “emotionally cold commercial transaction” with the man, showing no regard for human life or emotions.
Davies also exposed the ugly truth behind Ekweremadu’s behavior, highlighting his “entitlement, dishonesty, and hypocrisy”. He had agreed to reward someone for a kidney for his daughter, despite the donor being in poverty and someone from whom he distanced himself. For his own political protection, he wanted no direct contact with the donor, thus exposing his selfish and inhumane nature.
The judge, Justice Jeremy Johnson, will pass a sentence at a later date. This case serves as a stark reminder of the evil and exploitative acts that still prevail in our society, and the need for stricter laws to curb such crimes.