Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has waded into the legal travails of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu over crime of conspiracy to harvest the organ of a 21-year-old Nigerian.
Obasanjo wrote to the Chief Clerk of the Central Criminal Court in London asking them to temper justice with mercy over Ekweremadu’s conviction.
In a letter dated April 3, 2023 and titled ‘Ike Ekweremadu’, Obasanjo said even though the Enugu West Senator’s action was condemnable and unacceptable, he has contributed his quota to the socio-political development of Nigeria.
The former President said the UK government should consider Ekweremadu’s past records of good deeds and the plight of his ailing daughter before serving any punishment on him and his wife.
Obasanjo’s letter reads in part:
“Mr. Chief Clerk, I am very much aware of the current travails and conviction of Ike Ekweremadu and his wife in the United Kingdom resulting from their being charged with conspiring to arrange the travel of a 21-year old from Nigeria to the UK in order to harvest organs for their daughter. I do realise the implications of their action and I dare say, it is unpleasant and condemnable and can’t be tolerated in any sane or civilized society.
“However, it is my fervent desire for the very warm relations between the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Nigeria; for his position as one of the distinguished Senators in the Nigerian Parliament, and also for the sake of their daughter in question whose current health condition is in danger and requires an urgent medical attention, you will use your good offices to intervene and appeal to the court and the government of the United Kingdom to be magnanimous enough to temper justice with mercy and let punishment that may have to come take their good character and parental instinct and care into consideration.
“I do hope Mr. and Mrs. Ekweremadu have learnt from this distressing experience of theirs to guide their future actions or inactions so they will continue to be outstanding members of their community and will continue to contribute fully to the good of the society in particular and the nation in general.”
Senator Ike Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, and their doctor, Obinna Obeta will be sentenced on May 5 .
They were convicted of organ trafficking, in the first verdict of its kind under the Modern Slavery Act in the United Kingdom.
They were found guilty of facilitating the travel of a 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to exploit him for his kidney.
