Beatrice Ekweremadu released from UK prison after two years and flown back to Nigeria

BEATRICE Ekweremadu has been released from prison in the UK and returned to Nigeria after being released early from her six year prison sentence imposed by a London high court in March 2023.

Two years ago, Beatrice and her husband, Ike Ekweremadu, Nigeria's former deputy senate president, were found guilty of organ trafficking and sentenced to six and 10 years in jail respectively.  A jury found that they conspired to bring  Lagos street trader David Ukpo Nwamini to the UK for the purpose of harvesting his kidney for their daughter, Sonia, aged 25, although she was cleared of any wrongdoing.

London-based medical doctor Obinna Obeta, was charged along with the Ekweremadus with helping to facilitate the  matter and he too was found guilty. Mr Nwamini  was brought to the UK to provide a kidney in a £80,000 private transplant at the Royal Free Hospital in London but he was later found to be unsuitable.

Testifying in court, Mr Nwamini said he was promised opportunities in the UK for helping and that he only realised what was going on when he met doctors at the hospital. While it is lawful to donate a kidney in the UK, it becomes criminal if there is a reward of money or other material advantage attached to it.

After serving two years of her six year sentence, Mrs Ekweremadu returned to Nigeria yesterday. Her return is being celebrated across Enugu State, with many local people praying to have the deputy senate president, who represented the state in the National Assembly back soon.