By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Former Deputy Senate President of Nigeria, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, have pleaded not guilty to the charges of human trafficking and organ harvesting in the United Kingdom.
This came as the court fixed August 4 as the date for the next hearing.
They had on Thursday arrived West Minister Magistrate Court for the continuation of their trial.
Ekweremadu and his wife were arrested by the British police on June 23 on allegations of human trafficking and organ harvesting
The offences violate the country’s Modern Slavery Act.
The police authorities accuse Ekweremadu and his wife of conspiring to bring a child, David Ukpo to the United Kingdom for organ harvesting, alleging that the victim was a 15-year-old boy.
A Channels TV report suggests that the court accepted that the kidney donor in Ekweremadu’s case is not a minor. The prosecution accepted that he is 21years old.
The Federal High Court Abuja had earlier ordered the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to transmit the Certified True Copy (CTC) of David Ukpo’s biodata information to the Attorney General of the Federation for onward transmission to the UK to aid Ekweremadu’s trial.
Ukpo’s biodata indicates that he is 21 and not 15 as he had claimed.
Top members of the Nigeria’s National Assembly, including former President of the Senate, Muhammad Bulkachuwa, Chairman Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs among others were in court to witness the trial.
