Senator Ike Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and Dr. Obinna Obeta, 50, have been found guilty and convicted of Organ Harvesting.
The Old Bailey, a central criminal court in London found the trio guilty of an organ-trafficking plot, conspiring to exploit a 21-year-old man to the UK from Lagos for his kidney.
In 2022, the victim was transported to the UK to donate his kidney to Sonia, the sick daughter of the senator who was battling kidney disease.
According to the prosecution, the victim was said to have been promised greener pastures in the UK and given up to £7,000 for his assistance, only for him to understand what was going on when he met doctors at the hospital.
The defendants were alleged to have made attempts to persuade doctors at the Royal Free by lying that the boy was their daughter’s cousin while in reality, they were not related.
It is lawful to donate a kidney however, it is a criminal offense if monetary rewards or other material advantages are attached to the donation of a kidney.
After learning that the victim had no counseling or advice concerning the risks of surgery and lacked funds for the lifelong care he would, Royal Free consultant, Dr. Peter Dupont, concluded the donor was unsuitable.
The Ekweremadu’s subsequently transferred their interest to Turkey to find another donor, the court heard.
The victim escaped from London and approached a police station in Staines, Surrey in tears and looking distressed, an investigation was launched and he said “The doctor said I was too young but the man said if you do not do it here, he would carry me back to Nigeria and do it there.”
While Judges heard that Sonia was studying for a master’s degree at Newcastle University when she became ill in December 2019, her father in 2021, solicited the help of Diwe Ekweremadu, his medically-trained brother, to search for a donor.
Diwe Ekweremadu, subsequently turned to his classmate, Dr. Obeta, of Southwark, south London, who recently, had a private kidney transplant at the Royal Free with a Nigerian donor.
Dr. Obeta then involved Dr. Chris Agbo, of Vintage Health Group, a medical tourism company, as well as an agent to organize a visa for the donor, the court heard.
The victim, who made his living by selling phone accessories from a wheelbarrow in Lagos where he was recruited, knew the man who had donated his kidney to Dr. Obeta.
While crying in court, Sonia who refused to give evidence was cleared by the jury and tearfully hugged her father as he was remanded into custody with the other guilty defendants ahead of sentencing on 5 May.
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After the convictions, Joanne Jakymec Chief Crown Prosecutor termed the conspiracy as a “horrific plot”.
“The convicted defendants showed utter disregard for the victim’s welfare, health, and well-being and used their considerable influence to a high degree of control throughout, with the victim having a limited understanding of what was really going on here,” she added.
The victim was commended by Inspector Esther Richardson, of the Metropolitan Police for his bravery in speaking against the offenders.