- * As Activist Lawyer, Kayode Ajulo, Other Prominent Nigerians In Solidarity Court Appearance for Ekeremadu
The Central Criminal Court in the UK has adjourned the alleged organ harvesting case involving Ike Ekweremadu, former deputy president of the senate, to October 31, 2022.
The former deputy senate president and Beatrice, his wife, are facing charges bordering on conspiracy to arrange/facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.
The judge handling the case is going to hear pretrial applications on October 31, but the trial will commence fully on May 2, 2023.
The former deputy senate president and Beatrice, his wife, are facing charges bordering on conspiracy to arrange/facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.
The couple were arrested by London Metropolitan Police in June and appeared before a magistrate court in July.
Ekweremadu’s wife was granted bail on July 26.
At the court on Thursday, the senator representing Enugu west asked that a new lawyer should represent him.
The police had alleged that David Ukpo, the reported victim at the centre of the organ harvesting allegation, is a 15-year-old but the court ruled that he is 21.
Recall that his wife, Beatrice, according to a report had on July 26, been granted bail. Mrs Ekweremadu was granted bail on stringent conditions for the alleged organ harvesting case filed against her and her husband.
According to UK Daily Mail, the court, popularly known as Old Bailey, granted bail to Mrs Ekweremadu on stringent conditions but denied bail to her husband, Senator Ekweremadu, who continues to be held in custody.
“The position is that I have granted bail to Beatrice subject to some fairly stringent conditions but I have refused bail to Ike,” U.K. Daily Mail quoted Judge Richard Marks to have said.
Foundry Chambers representing the Ekweremadus in a statement confirmed the bail granted to Mrs Ekweremadu saying “an application for bail on Friday was refused for Ike Ekweremadu but granted for Beatrice on strict conditions to ensure her attendance and obviate any concerns of her being a flight risk ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing scheduled to take place on 4th August 2022 and a subsequent trial next year.”
In the report, a Nigerian doctor, Obinna Obeta, practising in the U.K had also been charged with plotting with the Ekweremadus to traffic a man into the UK to harvest a kidney for their daughter.
According to Daily Mail, Mr Obeta appeared before Bexley Magistrates’ court on July 13 and is charged under the Modern Slavery Act with arranging the travel of a 21-year-old man between August 2021 and May 2022 to exploit him.
Meanwhile, Constitutional lawyer and Rights Activist, Dr Kayode Ajulo, was among prominent Nigerians who appeared before the Central Criminal Court in United Kingdom on Thursday, August 4, 2022.
Ajulo joined others in solidarity for the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and wife, Beatrice, in continuation of their organ harvesting trial.
Also present in court for Ekweremadu was Adamu Bulkachuwa, Senate committee chairman on foreign affairs. (combined reports from The Conclave and TheCable). NNL.
