The lawmaker is being tried alongside his wife – Beatrice, 25-year-old daughter Sonia, and a doctor, Obinna Obeta. They are accused of conspiring to exploit the man for his organ. It would be recalled that the lawmaker was in June 2022, arrested at Heathrow Airport in London after Staines Police Station received a report from a young man claiming to have been trafficked into the UK.
The alleged victim told the court that he had slept on the streets for three days after doctors at a London hospital told him he would not be a suitable donor following preliminary tests. He then walked into a police station last May and said he was “looking for someone to save my life”, the court heard. In body-worn footage shown to jurors, the trafficked victim appeared to be crying and distressed when he walked into the police station.
In previous testimony, the victim alleged that he was recruited by a doctor working for the politician. He told jurors he thought he was coming to the UK to work and only realized it was for a kidney transplant when he was taken to London’s Royal Free Hospital. The young man was “shocked”, felt like crying, and told jurors, “Nobody told me about kidney transplant.”
“He carried me to the hospital to remove my kidneys. 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,’” he said.
He told the court that he would be paid around £2,000 (N1.2m) for the operation and that he had been coached to tell doctors he was part of the Ekweremadu family.
The alleged victim told the court that he had slept on the streets for three days after doctors at a London hospital told him he would not be a suitable donor following preliminary tests. He then walked into a police station last May and said he was “looking for someone to save my life”, the court heard. In body-worn footage shown to jurors, the trafficked victim appeared to be crying and distressed when he walked into the police station.
In previous testimony, the victim alleged that he was recruited by a doctor working for the politician. He told jurors he thought he was coming to the UK to work and only realized it was for a kidney transplant when he was taken to London’s Royal Free Hospital. The young man was “shocked”, felt like crying, and told jurors, “Nobody told me about kidney transplant.”
“He carried me to the hospital to remove my kidneys. 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,’” he said.
He told the court that he would be paid around £2,000 (N1.2m) for the operation and that he had been coached to tell doctors he was part of the Ekweremadu family.
Not supporting Ekweremadu but this boy's story is not straight.
ReplyDeleteIf Ike is not careful, he's looking at Life Imprisonment for human trafficking oo
DeleteThis boy wants asylum by all means…they should send him back to Naija
ReplyDeleteThe defense showed the court a picture of him smiling and having a meal with the daughter before he went to the police station
ReplyDeleteHe went there after the doctor told him he was not a match
Yes,I saw that picture to
DeleteSo if you pick up a poor person who had never left their shores and give them food they have never thought to eat, showed them things they never dreamt to see, and made them great promises of prosperity and elevation, will they not show smiles and happiness? His smiles are expected, especially for someone his age.
Delete15:50 the point is he knew why he was there. Wrongly or rightly he was aware. They didn’t pick him off the street for charity. He folllwed them to the uk to do excalt what they wanted him to do
DeleteHe changed mouth when he was denied by the doctor
You do not know what he knew or how much he knew. Unless you are related to those ppl or involved in the case directly, stay away from judgments. Now, if you are related to the defendants or connected to the case directly and know something the mass public doesn't, then say so.
Delete15:50, he and Ekweremadu are one and the same. If Ike's lawyers should reason his matter further, he will be telling these tall tales in the TVC studio in Lagos. The bobo too lie.
DeleteYou guys should continue to support rubbish from these politicians. God is indirectly revealing a lot to us but some of us still choose to swim deeper into the ponds is suffering and regression. Is it a curseeeeee?
DeleteHis story get k leg, but then na wetin the ekweremadus dey find them get. No pity party from me. Mugu jam maga.
ReplyDeleteMe too, no atom of pity from me
DeleteLet the justice prevail, this is not Nigeria that anything can happen
ReplyDeleteThe Ekweremadus aren't saints but this guy's story is somehow.
ReplyDelete🙆🙆🙆🙆
ReplyDeleteWho do I blame here 🤔
ReplyDeleteThis guy is seeking asylum. He will do anything to get it.
ReplyDeleteThis boy is very mischievous. Unfortunately, he has the sympathy of the British judiciary. There’s no way he didn’t know about the kidney transplant before leaving Lagos. Pray tell, on what basis did the Ekweremadu’s now help him out of the country? What trade or work did they promise him in London? Why only him? Is it what they regularly do for other boys his age and level?
ReplyDeleteMany of us might not like Ekweremadu because of his political status but in this, he’s just a parent being exploited for his daughter’s health condition by an opportunist. I pray he gets justice especially if the boy is lying
Thank you @anon 15:44. So of all countries, the Ekweremadus will decide to take him to a hospital in the UK, without his consent. UK! Not India or Indonesia, UK.
DeletePlease say something else.
Mystic
Very mischievous!! A liar and an opportunist. He should be sent back to Nigeria.
DeleteSluttychic.
Very very Mischievous, he knew all along.
DeleteMummy Anthony -Clever
The lawyer did not ask him for his qualification that would make Ike file for him. They didn't ask him what he signed on visa forms, the documents he submitted and what he said at immigration/ border patrol?.
DeleteDid they really pick someone off the streets like that? Who processed his paperwork, how did he get the visa? This thing is going to go deep.
ReplyDeleteNever mind if this boy is telling fibs, then rest assured he will get found out no matter how long it takes!
ReplyDeleteWait, so this boy is no longer 15yrs old again?
ReplyDeleteSomething is fishy with this boy
someone that enrolled for BVN cannot be 15 years.
DeleteEverything is fishy. In fact, the boy is a fish. He will talk himself into a net soon. The senator is no saint and the boy is a fellow born sinner.
DeleteThey can process paper work without digging deep in the name of connection. Naija is a corrupt country so anything goes
ReplyDeleteThis boy is telling fat fat lies.
ReplyDeleteWhether he is telling lies or not, right is right and wrong is wrong, Transactional organ harvesting is a crime and the Family knew this because the doctors must have told them, but the Nigerian spirit in them felt they could get away with it, that's why they would be punished, not because the boy is an opportunist
ReplyDeleteExactly. That is just it...Organ harvesting is a crime in the UK.. na him daughter I have concerns for, make this case no affect the healthcare she needs..
DeleteExactly! No skimming the point. It doesn't matter whether the boy has lied or not, on top such a wicked amount for his vital organ.
DeleteAgreeing to help is that a crime too
DeleteThe biggest crime is the 1200 they offered that young man. A major surgery that could have life altering implications for him and they offered 1200, not even 10,000. They are beyond exploitative. I wonder what was the criteria they used to select him considering he did not even match. Ridiculous ppl up and down.
DeleteDoctors typically try to give organs to younger ppl. Also the patient and how they present themselves carry some weight for the selection committee. I hope their bad behaviour does not delay her chances of getting an organ. Personality and behaviour counts when you are vying for an organ. It's not all where you are on the list that makes you a good candidate, but many ppl don't know that.
8 or 2 thousand pounds can hardly be considered 'transactional'. It is merely stipend to facilitate his comfort for travel, lodging and feeding. He deceived the Ekweremadus with initial consent because he wanted to travel to the UK, he is within his rights to withdraw it. What is outside his rights is the bold faced lies that can tarnish a senator's image and further destroy his family, just for a UK visa.
Delete“Tarnish a senator’s image”? A Nigerian Senator with the image of a thief and looter globally already? Who did this to Nigerians? Why is your sympathy with the thief while you condemn a poor boy for lying? I so wish Nigeria gets better but the quality of discourse among its citizens is sometimes so obtuse. Ekweremadu like the rest of the less than 20,000 looter troublers of Nigeria is a thief. This boy is a victim of a failed state and it’s pathetic that folks that “pray for a better Nigeria”, folks that condemn the harsh living conditions cannot link it to the 20,000 or so greedy man. Offering N1.2m for the boy’s kidney as a one off statement while his family lives in lucury with several homes across the globe bought with the boy (and other youths) future.
DeleteHow can he say he only found out about kidney transplant at the uk hospital and still lying he had been earlier coached to lie to the Doctor that he’s part of the ekweremadu family.
ReplyDeleteHis story is not consistent at all.
If only you all know how the organ transplant harvesters work that's why you are all making these comments.
DeleteBoth can be true. He could have been coached to say he is a relative and still did not know about kidney business until up to the moment. That's why I keep asking how did he get the visa, because even with pull string, getting a visa for an unemployed, unskilled young person is very difficult. Was he presented as a family member to get the visa and told to pretend to be a family while in the UK?
DeleteThey should dig into the entire visa application process and see who authorized it. Cause regular ppl with all that is needed can barely get the go.
The uk police is embarrassed and doesn’t know how to drop this case
ReplyDeleteWhy the court is going along only God knows
exactly
DeleteIf only the ekweremadus had just followed due process. It's not like finance would hv been a problem to them
ReplyDelete🤔So many feeling sorry for their oppressors on here. If the boy is lying, the other side have not only lied to millions but STOLEN the future of the boy & millions of youths to amass the wealth they have. How many houses did they seize from the man? Everyone especially IRS can trace how you became a millionaire as an 🇺🇸Why do we not expect good governance? How many job creating bills did he and his fellow wicked oppressors pass? Can you entice a young Gen Z in the West to donate their kidney in exchange for $2k? Why feel sorry for a member of the group that created the poverty & unemployment that made this young man even listen to such an offer for his kidney?
ReplyDeleteMany Nigerians are suffering from “Stockholm Syndrome”, they have accepted that their lives are inferior to the lives of their oppressor’s families, feel sorry for the oppressing, wicked group, defend & even fight for them. It’s the reason there is minimal outrage when cops are accused with evidence of killing and transferring the money in victims accounts. The cops are looking for the poster of the evidence instead of having a crime scene taped all over with detectives & prosecutors. The FBI has an ANONYMOUS tip line. They care more about solving, preventing & punishing crimes than HOW they got to know about the crime.
Instead of hoping the “looting class” learns from the accountability being forced on one of the lawless looting class members by the UK, they are majoring on the minor. The boy saw a better future and lied? The Ekweremadu ex senate president like his fellow looters didn’t just lie but STOLE the boy’s future together with the future of millions of youths amassing 40?houses in Nigeria alone. The trouble with Nigeria is as much that of a reckless looting elite class as a docile “hypnotized” follower-ship not deep in thinking & prone to unnecessary emotions. Yes “Ekweremadu is just a father trying to help his daughter”, in a heartless, lawless way that shows disdain for the boy’s humanity. Something they are used to doing anyway. The “Nigerian way”. I knew a colleague who had a kidney transplant fifteen years ago. She was on the line for years but it eventually got to her turn.
We really need a society with law, order and consequences else there will be no end to the way things are in the country.
You have spoken very well. I don't know why most of them are taking sides with Ekweremwdu , he exploited the poor boy, luring him with a trip to London and £2k in exchange for one of his kidneys.
DeleteThank you! Sensible human being
DeleteWhat is sensible there? You guys will just get carried away by sentiments. Ekweremadu is probably a corrupt Nigerian politician, but he is also a father, who is doing what most loving fathers would. Separate his political activities from this case and look at the case on its own merits. He is not on trial for financial misappropriation here.
DeleteMay God give the lady a second chance at life. Let justice be done.
ReplyDeleteDon’t think it’s organ harvesting if the person volunteered. It’s like how people offer marrow or whatever. My own is how the story is bending and twisting. First I heard underage now it’s he was paid please i need to hear just the facts
ReplyDeleteAnon 22:30, the facts you & Ekweremadu sympathizers need is HOW he (& others) acquired his houses in London, the US + the 40 houses in Nigeria. The facts you need is how Mr Tinubu got to be worth $4bn which wasn’t disputed on the BBC interview. The only jobs he held were one in Virginia, at Deloitte, Mobil & as governor of a state. A public service position of trust. The fact you need is how Atiku became a billionaire with mansions in Dubai & all over the world. He was in customs & served as a VP! The fact you need to know is how PO got on the radar of ICPJ from 600 countries that compiled the list of corrupt money launderers across 150 countries, with facts that his Gabriella investments has more assets than his work at the port under the infamous kleptomaniac president Abacha, & other work can legitimately account for.
DeleteThe fact you need to know is why there is so much heartlessness that a young man already let down, beaten emotionally, impoverished by all these politicians & cronies was even asked to donate or sell his vital organ for $2k, the cost of staying for 3 nights at a Ritz Carlton hotel without food & drinks.
I could go on about all the governors retiring to the senate after looting their states, all the former ministers that paid N100m to buy presidential forms, corrupt contractors, etc but thank God this case is in the UK courts as some of the followers & rulers in Nigeria are mostly the same, consumed by inferiority complex, suffering from the Stockholm syndrome and identifying with their oppressors. Even if he “volunteered” his kidney to a looter family “princess” whose life is obviously “more important”, for $2k it is because the system failed him. Nigeria let him down, dehumanized him and made $2k look like all his kidney was worth. Even with a sick daughter, they still didn't fear God, offering him pittances as if anyone goes with a truck to the grave! You would think such a serious ailment would humble them, making them offer this boy a truly life improving deal for the new life he would give their own daughter!
Even if his story gets k leg. Every day you people will be binding and casting, praying and fasting against enemies of progress. When such enemy of progress like Ekweremadu is caught, the same you will be the ones to start rationalizing their wickedness. Perhaps God wants to expose and punish Ekweremadu for being in the Senate for 20 years and nothing to show to his people except 1 road. Let them give him life imprisonment. You protest against the impunity of our leaders. They get away with everything because you the losers will be the first to start pushing for forgiveness after s/he has destroyed many lives. Nigerians deserve their leaders. I don't think Buhari is wicked enough considering the rubbish we see among Nigerians.
ReplyDeleteTell them, my dear. Tell them.
DeleteEven if his story gets k leg. Every day you people will be binding and casting, praying and fasting against enemies of progress. When such enemy of progress like Ekweremadu is caught, the same you will be the ones to start rationalizing their wickedness. Perhaps God wants to expose and punish Ekweremadu for being in the Senate for 20 years and nothing to show to his people except 1 road. Let them give him life imprisonment. You protest against the impunity of our leaders. They get away with everything because you the losers will be the first to start pushing for forgiveness after s/he has destroyed many lives. Nigerians deserve their leaders. I don't think Buhari is wicked enough considering the rubbish we see among Nigerians.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, he should be imprisoned not because you think he's guilty of the crime he's being charged of, but because you're poor and he didn't do what is necessary to bring you and others out of poverty which is incompetence and not on trial in this court. Let me brief you, imo you're as mean as this boy and Ekweremadu.
DeleteI'm really surprised how people are feeling sorry for the politicians that do not feel sorry for us. Sincerely in this case I refuse to be logical. Because they are not logical too. Let God continue to deal with them since they have our judiciary system in their pocket
ReplyDeleteAnon, ur points are valid; however, the issue here is the boy's testimony. The way the pendulum will swing for all parties in the final analysis is a different matter. The fact is that as regarding the boy's testimony, he comes across as lying. How will he say in one breath that he was picked off the streets of Lagos and promised a sum of money - for what? He left Nigeria - with what documents? What did he tell them at the embassy? He was coached - about what? He met with Ekweremadu's sick daughter - to what end? Putting these together, a much more logical inference is that the boy was very much aware of what he was travelling to the UK to go and do. When things did not go as planned he ran off to seek assylum to remain in the Uk, rather than go back to the streets of Lagos. He and the Ekweremadus are cut from the same cloth. It's a case of dog eat dog. Why ppl appear to be sympathetic about the plight of the Ekweremadus is, like somebody mentioned above, because of their position as parents faced with the situation their daughter was in. That's not to say that it isn't the desire of a lot of Nigerians that they learn the lessons they should, from this encounter.
Delete