Organ harvesting: Senate sends delegation to UK over Ekweremadu’s case

The senate has dispatched a delegation to the United Kingdom over the ‘organ harvest’ case involving a former deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice.

Recall that the London Metropolitan Police last week arrested and charged Ekweremadu and his wife to court for allegedly bringing a child to the UK for organ harvesting.

The UK authorities said the ‘child’ had ‘been safeguarded,’ while the police said their operatives ‘are working closely with partners on continued support.’

The passport data page of Ukpo Nwamini David, ‘the organ donor,’ showed he was born on October 12, 2000, and not a child as alleged by the police.

Speaking after a closed-door session that lasted for about an hour on Wednesday, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said the committee on foreign affairs would go and see Ekweremadu in two days.

He said, “The high commission has also been able to provide some consular services that included the engagement of lawyers who defend our colleague. We commend them for putting this particular issue at stake.

“Equally, the British, the Nigerian ministers of foreign affairs have been engaged here so that the ministry of foreign affairs extends diplomatic support for our colleague because this issue is already in court, we have limited opportunity to discuss beyond what we have done so far.

“I want to assure the family of our colleague and Nigerians that the senate will continue to engage with our ministry of foreign affairs as well as the Nigerian high commission in London.

“The high commission has done so much but we still expect that it will continue to provide consular service. And we have also mandated our committee on foreign affairs to engage with the British commission here in Nigeria to find more details on this case as far as the high delegation is involved.

“There will be a delegation to London to see the former deputy senate president. A delegation from the senate committee on foreign affairs will leave in the next two days to London for that purpose.”