By John Ikani
A Nigerian doctor residing in UK has been accused of plotting with former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, to traffic a young man into the UK to harvest his kidney for their daughter.
The doctor identified as Obinna Obeta, 50, from Southwark, south London, is charged under the Modern Slavery Act with arranging the travel of a 21-year-old David Ukpo between August last year and May to exploit him. He appeared at Bexley Magistrates’ Court on 13 July.
According to a report published by Daily Mail, a second charge alleges Obeta conspired with the former Senate President to arrange or facilitate the travel of the man with a view to harvesting the young man’s kidney for the senator’s daughter.
It is alleged Ike Ekweremadu, 60, a district senator and lawyer, and his wife, Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, brought David from Nigeria to the UK.
David is said to have refused to consent to the procedure after undergoing tests at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north-west London.
Thereafter, he approached the police with claims of being treated as a slave and also claiming that he was ”15” years old.
The Nigerian politician and his wife were arrested in the UK on June 21 after flying into Heathrow from Turkey.
The couple deny wrongdoing or that there was a criminal conspiracy, and claim no exploitation occurred.
It was later discovered that David lied about his age as the biodata on his Nigerian bank accounts and the National Identity Management Commission NIMC indicated he was 21 years old.
