Nigeria in Talks with UK to Transfer Ekweremadu Back for Remaining Prison Term

The Nigerian government is engaging in ongoing consultations with the United Kingdom to secure the transfer of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria, according to diplomatic sources.President Bola Tinubu dispatched a high-level delegation on Monday to meet with officials from the UK Ministry of Justice, focusing on Ekweremadu's case. The team included Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar and Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, who later conferred with Acting High Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador Mohammed, at the Nigerian High Commission in London.Ekweremadu was convicted in May 2023 under the UK's Modern Slavery Act for orchestrating an organ-trafficking scheme to bring a 21-year-old Lagos street vendor to Britain for a kidney transplant for his daughter, Sonia, who suffers from kidney disease. He received a sentence of nine years and eight months, while his wife, Beatrice, was given four years and six months and released early in January 2025 before returning to Nigeria. Medical middleman Dr. Obinna Obeta was sentenced to 10 years.The case ignited diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and the UK, exposing regulatory shortcomings in organ transplants and prompting further investigations in Britain. Ekweremadu's family has described the actions as a desperate measure driven by his daughter's illness, but the courts emphasized the absence of informed consent and ethical options.Confirming the diplomatic efforts, Alkasim AbdulKadir, spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Tuggar, told reporters: "Consultations still ongoing with UK authorities on the matter. "An appeal for prisoner exchange for him to serve the remainder of his term in Nigeria was tabled before the United Kingdom authorities".The push leverages a 2014 bilateral prisoner transfer agreement between Nigeria and the UK, which facilitates serving sentences in the home country to support rehabilitation and reintegration. Recent Nigeria-UK dialogues on migration and justice, including a joint communique from October 2025, have underscored commitments to information-sharing on prison conditions and extradition assurances, potentially aiding such transfers. No timeline has been announced for a decision, but officials express optimism that the high-level intervention could expedite Ekweremadu's return, amid broader calls for compassionate considerations in his ongoing imprisonment.

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