A former Nigerian Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has been jailed by a judge at The Central Criminal Court, also known as the Old Bailey, United Kingdom.
The Nigerian lawmaker was sentenced alongside his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu and a medical doctor, Doctor Obinna Obeta.
The court gave the pronouncement at a sentencing hearing on Friday.
The judge jailed Ekweremadu for nine years and eight months, while his wife, Beatrice was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment and Obeta bagged a 10-year prison term.
Recall that in March 2023, the trio were convicted for organ trafficking, while Ekweremadus’ sick daughter, Sonia, was cleared of any wrongdoing.
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The court held that the three were guilty after arranging or facilitating a young Nigerian man’s travel into the United Kingdom in a bid to obtain his kidney on behalf of Sonia.
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.
The verdict is considered the first of its kind under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Recently, a number of Nigerian politicians have tried to intervene in the situation but it turned out negatively as the defendants were eventually sentenced.
Months ago, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, wrote an open letter to the UK authorities to pardon the embattled legislator but there was no official response by the UK.