President Bola Tinubu has dispatched a high-level delegation to London to negotiate the possible transfer of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, to Nigeria to serve the remainder of his prison sentence.
The delegation, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, held discussions on Monday with officials of the UK Ministry of Justice regarding the case.
Ekweremadu, a senator and prominent member of the opposition, has been serving a nine-year, eight-month jail term in the United Kingdom after being convicted in 2023 for organ trafficking under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act.
Following the meeting, the Nigerian delegation was received at the country’s High Commission in London by Acting High Commissioner, Ambassador Mohammed Maidugu.
Confirming the development, Alkasim AbdulKadir, spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Minister, told Arise News that formal consultations are ongoing with British authorities.
He said a request for a prisoner exchange had already been submitted, seeking approval for Ekweremadu to complete his sentence in Nigeria.
"Consultations are still ongoing with UK authorities on the matter.
"An appeal for a prisoner exchange for him to serve the remainder of his term in Nigeria was tabled before the United Kingdom authorities," AbdulKadir said.
Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, were arrested in June 2022 by the London Metropolitan Police after attempting to arrange a kidney transplant for their daughter, Sonia, using a 21-year-old Lagos street trader falsely presented as her cousin.
The man later alerted UK authorities, claiming he had been lured to Britain under the pretext of employment, prompting a full investigation.
In March 2023, Ekweremadu was convicted of conspiracy to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person for exploitation and was sentenced two months later. His wife received four years and six months, while their associate, Dr Obinna Obeta, was handed ten years.
Beatrice Ekweremadu was released from prison and returned to Nigeria in early 2025.
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