Nigerian politician, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, along with his wife Beatrice Ekweremadu and ‘middleman,’ Dr Obinna Obeta, have been convicted of conspiring to exploit a young man for his kidney.
The trio brought the victim to the UK from Lagos, Nigeria, with the intention of obtaining the organ for their 25-year-old daughter Sonia.
The case is said to be the first of its kind under modern slavery laws.
Read also: Obasanjo Writes UK Court, Seeks Clemency For Ekweremadu.
The Old Bailey trial heard that Ike Ekweremadu, 60, was the “driving force throughout” the conspiracy.
He and his wife, 56-year-old Beatrice Ekweremadu, were sentenced to nine years and eight months and four years and six months in prison, respectively.
Dr Obinna Obeta, who was found to have targeted the potential donor due to his vulnerability, was sentenced to ten years.
During the televised sentence hearing, Mr Justice Johnson acknowledged Ike Ekweremadu’s “substantial fall from grace” and highlighted the severity of the crime.
“People-trafficking across international borders for the harvesting of human organs is a form of slavery,” he stated.
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