The United Kingdom has rejected a formal request by the Federal Government of Nigeria to transfer former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, back home to complete his prison sentence for organ trafficking.
Ekweremadu is currently serving nine years and eight months in a UK prison after he was convicted of conspiring to exploit a young man for his kidney.
Earlier this month, the administration of President Bola Tinubu sent a high-powered delegation to London to engage British officials on the matter. The delegation included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
The team also visited the Nigerian High Commission in London, where they were received by Ambassador Mohammed Maidugu, the Acting High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
According to reliable sources, the engagement was part of President Tinubu’s diplomatic efforts to secure either Ekweremadu’s early release or a review of his sentence on humanitarian and legal grounds.
However, the UK Guardian reported on Monday that the British government turned down the request.
The newspaper quoted a Ministry of Justice source as saying the application was rejected.
“It is understood the UK government was concerned that Nigeria could offer no guarantees that Ekweremadu would continue his prison sentence after being deported,” the report stated.
A government spokesperson told the newspaper that they could not comment on individual cases. They added:
“Any prisoner transfer is at our discretion following a careful assessment of whether it would be in the interests of justice.”
Another UK official was quoted as saying:
“The UK will not tolerate modern slavery and any offender will face the full force of UK law.”
Beatrice Ekweremadu, who received a sentence of four years and six months—with half to be served in custody—was released earlier this year and has since returned to Nigeria.
As at the time of this report, UK authorities have not issued an official public statement on the rejection
