Ekweremadu kidney donor 21 not 15 as Senator, wife to remain in custody till August – UK court rules
A Westminster Magistrates Court in the United Kingdom, on Wednesday, ruled that David Nwamini Ukpo, the alleged kidney donor for the daughter of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, is not 15 years old.
Arise TV reports that the Ukpo has admitted to the court that he is 21 years old and had been in the UK since February but only presented himself to the police in May.
The counsel for the defendants has also denied the allegations of exploitation laid by the alleged victim.
The case was adjourned till August 4, 2022.
Senator Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, have been remanded in custody until the next hearing.
Present at the hearing were some members of the Senate and delegates from the Nigerian High Commission.
Also present were former Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnanya Abaribe, former Senate President, David Mark, former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Adamu Bulkachuwa.
The British court heard that the alleged victim lied about his age but the prosecution insisted that he is a minor.
The court, however, ruled that the victim is not a minor before adjourning the matter till early August.
Last month, British authorities arrested the couple over human trafficking and organ harvesting.
The authorities alleged that they trafficked the victim to harvest his organs for their ailing child, Sonia, who allegedly suffers from kidney failure.
Following their arrest, lawyers from the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom were engaged to provide legal representation, and the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs delegation was sent to the Ekeweremadus.
On Wednesday, The Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to send the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the biodata information of the alleged minor to the Attorney General of the Federation for further transmission to the UK to aid Mr Ekweremadu’s trial.
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