The house of representatives has asked the UK government and
parliament to intervene in the sentencing of Ike Ekweremadu and Beatrice, his
wife.
The lawmakers want the UK court to “temper justice and
mercy” in the sentencing of the lawmaker.
The legislators also asked the federal government to take
diplomatic steps to “intervene” in the trial of the lawmaker.
The resolution was passed at plenary session on Tuesday
following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by
Toby Okechukwu, a lawmaker from Enugu.
Following the adoption of the motion, the lawmakers asked
the clerk of the lower legislative chamber to “convey” their resolutions in
writing to British Embassy, UK government and the parliament.
Ekweremadu is due to be sentenced on May 5 at the Central
Criminal Court, Old Bailey in the UK.
The former deputy senate president and his wife were found
guilty of organ trafficking in March.
The jury found that they conspired to bring a 21-year-old to
London to exploit him for his kidney.
Their daughter, Sonia, was however cleared of the charges.
The Ekweremadus were arrested by the London Metropolitan
Police in June 2022.
They were alleged to have attempted to convince doctors at
the Royal Free Hospital in London to perform an £80,000 transplant on the donor
who was presented as Sonia’s cousin.
However, during the trial, the couple apologised for
claiming that the donor was a relative.
Hugh Davies, the prosecutor, told the court the Ekweremadus
and Obeta had treated the man and other potential donors as “disposable assets
– spare parts for reward”.
The verdict was the first of its kind under the UK Modern
Slavery Act 2015.
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UK is not Nigeria. Those countries are governed by laws. But of course you cannot be above the laws.
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