A former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; his wife, Beatrice and their doctor have been convicted of organ trafficking, in the first verdict of its kind under the Modern Slavery Act in United Kingdom( U K).
Ekweremadu , 60, his wife, Beatrice, 56, and Dr Obinna Obeta, 51, were found guilty of facilitating the travel of a young man to Britain with a view to his exploitation after a six-week trial at the Old Bailey.
The jury found that the trio conspired in taking a 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to exploit him for his kidney.
The prosecutor, Hugh Davies told the court the Ekweremadus and the doctor treated the young man and other potential donors as disposable assets and that Ekweremadu distanced himself from the man and also made no inquiries about him for his political protection as he does not want a direct contact.
Ekweremadu, who denied the charge, told the court that he was the victim of a scam as the doctor who also denied the charge, claimed the man was not offered a reward for his kidney and was acting altruistically.
Ekweremadu’s wife equally denied any knowledge of the alleged conspiracy. The judge, Mr Justice Jeremy Johnson, will pass sentence at a later date.
