Ekweremadu: Reps beg UK court, govt for mercy

The House of Representatives on Tuesday appealed to the Central Criminal Court, United Kingdom and the Government of the UK to temper justice with mercy in sentencing Senator Ike Ekweremadu and wife, Beatrice, over the organ trafficking offence.

The House also asked the Federal Government of Nigeria to take all diplomatic steps and other necessary interventions regarding the travails of the Ekwermadus.

The resolution followed the adoption of an urgent motion of public importance by the House Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu).

Recall that a UK court had on March 23, 2023, convicted Ekweremadu, a former Deputy Senate President, and his wife, Beatrice, on charges of organ trafficking.

Also convicted was a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, who was said to have facilitated the travel of a young man to Britain with a view to exploiting him.

Justice Jeremy Johnson, who handed down the conviction at the end of a six-week trial, fixed May 5 for the sentencing of the couple.

But Okechukwu in his motion said Ekweremadu acted within his limited knowledge of the UK laws and did write to the UK High Commission to support the medical visa application and declared the purpose of the trip.

He said Senator Ekweremadu and Mrs Beatrice acted under the natural instincts of parents to save an ailing daughter, and not for commercial purposes.

Okechukwu said it was a common practice in international relations for nations, including the UK, to seek relief for their citizens involved in situations such as that of the Ekweremadus.

He said that elder statesmen such as former Military Head of State and President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, had made passionate pleas for clemency, “testifying also to Senator Ekweremadu’s character as a patriot, god-fearing, progressive citizen, who has served Nigeria and West Africa as former three-term Deputy President of the Senate as well as Deputy Speaker and Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.”

Okechukwu said the Ekweremadus must have learnt their lessons, and therefore urged the Central Criminal Court, UK and the Government of the UK to temper justice with mercy in sentencing them.