Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, said he facilitated David Ukpo’s trip to London for an organ transplant after he offered to donate his kidney to his daughter, Sonia.
KEMI FILANI NEWS recalls that Ekweremadu and his wife were arrested by the Specialist Crime Team of the Metropolitan Police and detained in London for alleged conspiracy to harvest the organ of a child.
According to the prosecutor, the minor, Ukpo, who alleged that he was forced to donate his kidney to the Senator’s daughter, is 15-year-old.
Ekweremadu’s lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, told an Abuja Federal High Court on Friday that Ukpo informed Ekweremadu that he was 21.
Awomolo also disclosed Sonia has been suffering from kidney failure for the past five years.
He said “The applicants have a daughter named Sonia Ekweremadu, who is suffering from kidney failure and the applicants have been managing it for about five years.
“The said daughter of the applicants urgently needed kidney transplant to save her life.
“David Nwamini Ukpo, offered to donate one of his kidneys for the daughter of the applicants if his kidney is compatible with that of Miss Sonia Ekweremadu.
“David Nwamini Ukpo informed the applicants that he is Twenty One (21) years of age having being born in the year 2000.
“The 1st applicant supported the visa application of David Nwamini Ukpo to the United Kingdom with a letter to the British High Commission in Nigeria, explaining the purpose of the visit – to enable him undergo medical examination in the United Kingdom so that the donor and Sonia Ekweremadu get the best of medical attention.
“After conducting various medical tests, the Royal Free Hospital in London decided that the said David Nwamini Ukpo was not a suitable donor because his kidney is not compatible with that of Sonia Ekweremadu.”
The applicants told the court that Ukpo was asked to return to Nigeria, but rather than do so, he approached the authorities in the United Kingdom for protection from being returned to Nigeria.
“David Nwamini Ukpo told the United Kingdom police that he is fifteen years of age contrary to the information supplied to the Applicants by the same David Nwamini Ukpo.
“The Applicants verily believe that Ukpo was actually 21 or more having regards to the public records in the custody of the respondents.
“The Applicants were arrested by the Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom on June 21 for the allegation that they brought a 15-year-old child (a minor) to the UK to harvest his organs.
“The Applicants were charged before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court, United Kingdom on the 23rd of June 2022 for offences of conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.
“The court denied them bail and they are presently in the custody of UK authorities.
“The Applicants require documents from the respondents to assist in the fair criminal investigation and as facts In their defence to establish their innocence of the allegation In the charge and to prove that David Nwamini Ukpo is not a minor and Indeed consented to the medical examination in the United Kingdom.
“The said David Nwamini Ukpo is presently in care in the custody of British Authorities and he cannot be accessed by the Applicants.”
