After being found guilty of organ trafficking in March, Ike Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and a doctor named Obinna Obeta will receive sentences from the Old Bailey today.
Within the criminal justice system of the UK, this judgment will be a first of its sort.
The Ekweremadus and their doctor could receive terms ranging from 10 years to life in prison under the Modern Slavery Act.
The lawmaker’s wife has been involved in a plot to arrange the passage of a young Nigerian guy, David Nwamini, to Britain in order to take advantage of him for his kidney for weeks.
The organ was required to treat the illness of Sonia Ekweremadu, who was first charged with participating in the crime but was ultimately acquitted after the jury debated for nearly 14 hours.
The prosecutor, Hugh Davies, told the jury that the Ekweremadus’ actions demonstrated “entitlement, dishonesty, and hypocrisy” despite the fact that Senator Ekweremadu and his wife rejected the accusations made against them.
Dr. Obeta, on the other hand, refuted the accusation and stated that the victim in issue was acting benevolently and had not been promised a compensation for his kidney.
There have been numerous requests for mercy on behalf of the Ekweremadus, many of which mention the legislator’s accomplishments and services to the development of Nigeria and other countries, and claim that he is a statesman of spotless character who just so happened to make a mistake.
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Some have pleaded with the UK government to balance justice with mercy, pointing out that the legislator acted in accordance with his parental instincts to save his daughter rather than for selfish reasons.
They also acknowledge that “mistakes have been made and lessons have been learned.”
A Significant Conviction
While giving a kidney is legal in Britain, doing so in exchange for money or other tangible goods is against the law.
This is the first time accusations of an organ harvesting conspiracy have been made under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act from 2015.
The law allows for a life sentence as the maximum punishment.
A “landmark conviction,” according to Detective Inspector Esther Richardson of the Metropolitan Police’s Modern Slavery and Exploitation Command, who also hailed the victim for his “bravery” in coming forward.
The 21-year-old victim testified during the trial’s several-week duration that the Ekweremadus had flown him to Britain to obtain his kidney.
The kidney was intended for Sonia, who continues to receive dialysis because to a renal ailment, according to the victim’s evidence, in exchange for up to £7,000 ($8,800).
The individual claimed he was hired by a physician who worked for the politician and had mistakenly believed he was traveling to the UK to find employment.
