Tinubu Moves: High-Powered Delegation Flies To UK Over Ekweremadu’s 9-Year Sentence

The Federal Government has initiated discussions with the United Kingdom regarding the potential transfer of former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence in the UK for organ harvesting.

A high-level Nigerian delegation arrived in London on Monday to engage British authorities on the matter. The team included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.

The officials held a closed-door meeting with senior representatives of the UK Ministry of Justice. Following the session, they were received by Ambassador Mohammed Maidugu, Acting High Commissioner to the UK, at the Nigerian High Commission in London.

According to diplomatic sources, the visit forms part of President Bola Tinubu’s effort to secure either an early release or a lawful review of Ekweremadu’s sentence on humanitarian grounds.

Officials familiar with the negotiations confirmed that the Nigerian government is exploring various legal avenues under UK law, including prisoner-transfer agreements, compassionate parole, or other forms of leniency.

“We are working on an appeal for a prisoner exchange that would allow him to serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria,” a senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs official revealed. “Consultations with UK authorities are ongoing.”

Ekweremadu, a long-serving legislator and three-time Deputy Senate President, was convicted at the Old Bailey in March 2023 alongside his wife, Beatrice, and medical doctor Obinna Obeta. They were found guilty of conspiring to exploit a young Nigerian, David Nwamini, for the removal of his kidney to treat Ekweremadu’s daughter, Sonia.

The former senator received a sentence of nine years and eight months — the longest in the UK for an organ-harvesting-related offence.

The current diplomatic engagement underscores renewed efforts by the Nigerian government to renegotiate the terms of Ekweremadu’s imprisonment while respecting UK judicial procedures. The Federal Government is expected to provide updates as discussions with UK officials continue.