Alleged Organ Harvesting: FG Hires Lawyers To Defend Ekweremadu, Wife

The Nigerian government through the High Commission to the United Kingdom has hired lawyers to defend a former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, over allegations of organ harvesting.

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan disclosed this after a closed-door session of the chamber on Wednesday.

The Enugu West senator was arrested alongside his wife, Beatrice, last week by the London Metropolitan Police for allegedly conspiring to bring a child to the UK for organ harvesting.

The couple were tried at the Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court in London and denied bail as the prosecutors reportedly informed the court that Ekweremadu procured a passport for the boy and claimed he was 21 years old only to discover that he was 15 years old.

Lawan in a statement issued by his Special Assistant, Press, Dr. Ezrel Tabiowo said that a delegation of the chamber would on or before Friday this week visit Ekweremadu and his wife in London.

He said the decision to wade into Ekweremadu’s arrest and detention was against the backdrop of a briefing received by the Nigerian High Commissioner to London.

“I had a personal engagement with our Nigerian High Commissioner to Britain, Alhaji Isola Sarafa, who has done so well to establish contact with our colleague, who has been able to get his team to be in the court at Uxbridge where Ekweremadu was taken to,” the statement read.

“The high Commission has also been able to provide some consular services that include the engagement of some lawyers who will defend our colleague.

“We commend them for giving attention to the issue at stake. Equally, the Nigeria Foreign Affairs Minister has been engaged here, so that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes steps to provide diplomatic support for our colleague.

“Because this issue is already in court, we have limited opportunity to discuss beyond what we have done so far.”