The Federal Government has begun moves to return former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who is serving a nine-year jail in a UK prison for organ harvesting to Nigeria.
A high-level Nigerian delegation was in the United Kingdom on Monday to engage British authorities.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar and Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi who led the delegation met with officials at the UK Ministry of Justice in London earlier on Monday.
Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Ambassador Mohammed Maidugu, received the team in London.
Daily Trust reported on Tuesday that the meeting was part of President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to secure either Ekweremadu’s early release or a review of his sentence on humanitarian and legal grounds.
Competent official sources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said FG is seeking to open discussions around possible prisoner-transfer arrangements, compassionate parole, or other reliefs permitted under UK law.
“We are working on an appeal for a prisoner exchange for him to serve the remainder of his term in Nigeria,” the official said, adding that “consultations were still ongoing with UK authorities.”
Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, were found guilty of conspiring to exploit a young Nigerian man, David Nwamini, for the removal of his kidney to treat Ekweremadu’s ailing daughter.
They were convicted at the Old Bailey in March 2023 and are to spend nine years and eight months in prison.
