Mike Ozekhome Faults Description Of Ekweremadu’s Case As Organ Harvesting

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, on Tuesday criticized the ‘organ harvesting’ case for which former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife are being tried in the United Kingdom.

The senior lawyer maintained that the medical issue Ekweremadu’s daughter is passing through require organ transplantation (removing an organ from one person (the donor) and surgically placing it in another), not organ harvesting as being circulated.

Recall that the London metropolitan police had on June 23 arrested the ex-deputy senate president, alleging he conspired to arrange the travel of a child into the UK in order to harvest organs.

“Ike Ekweremadu, 60 (12.05.62) of Nigeria is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.

“Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55 (10.9.66) of Nigeria is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting,” the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime team had stated.

But Ozekhome tweeted on Tuesday that to describe it as “organ harvesting” is incorrect, adding that it should have been “organ transplantation”.

According to him, organ harvesting means removing body parts for commercial gains.

He added that Nigerians should not have bought into the narrative by the UK authorities.

He tweeted : “Nigerians also excel in Ph.D ( “Pull-him-Down” ) syndrome, revelling at others’ downfall. Imagine describing Ekweremadu’s attempt at getting a kidney donation for Sonia, his ailing daughter dying in a UK hospital, which is called “organ transplantation”, as “organ harvesting” ( removing body parts for commercial gains against victim’s will ). Haba!!!”

Meanwhile, the Common Serjeant of London court, judge Richard Marks, granted bail to Ekwermadu’s wife on Tuesday.

‘The position is that I have granted bail to Beatrice subject to some fairly stringent conditions but I have refused bail to Ike,” the judge said.

Also, David Ukpo, the alleged kidney donor to Miss Sonia Ekweremadu, had in the case made a u-turn on his initial claim that he was a child (15 years).

He had confirmed to the court that he was 21 years.

Prosecutors are now looking at the circumstances surrounding the donor’s arrival in the UK.

Ukpo’s lawyers had alleged maltreatment and exploitation by the Ekweremadu family.

But Ekweremadu’s lawyer, Martin Hicks, QC, raised objection to the claim saying it never happened.

“We deny that there was any exploitation or any intent to do so.

“The argument will be factual denial,” he said as quoted by Daily Mail UK.

The matter has been adjourned to 4th August.