Ekweremadu: Kidney Donor Not Underage, Says UK Court
The Westminster Magistrates Court, the United Kingdom on Thursday accepted that the kidney donor in the case of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice is not a minor.
Ekweremadu and his wife were arrested by the British police on June 23 on allegations of human trafficking and organ harvesting that violate the country’s Modern Slavery Act.
The police authorities had accused the lawmaker of conspiring to bring a child to the United Kingdom for organ harvesting, saying the victim was a 15-year-old boy.
During the continuation of the case, the prosecution accepted that he is 21 years old, contrary to earlier claims that he is 15 years old.
Earlier in the day, Channels Television reported the arrival of Ekweremadu and his at West Minister Magistrates Court for the continuation of their trial.
Giving an update from the court’s premises on Thursday, Channels Television’s correspondent, Juliana Olayinka, said the court accepted that the kidney donor in Ekweremadu’s case is not a minor.
She said the prosecution has accepted that he is 21years old.
The court thereafter fixed August 4 as the date for the next hearing.
Just yesterday, the Federal High Court Abuja ordered the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to transmit the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the biodata information of an alleged Minor to the Attorney General of the Federation for onward transmission to the UK to aid Ekweremadu’s trial.
The lawmaker’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, on July 27 urged Justice Inyang Ekwo to order the release of certain official documents of Ukpo domiciled with NIMC, Nigerian Immigration Service, and Stanbic-IBTC Bank for the purpose of effectively defending Ekweremadu in the UK.
