BBC Pidgin of Friday, 5 May 2023

Source: BBC

UK Court sentence Senator Ike Ekweremadu to 10 years in prison for organ trafficking plot

Former deputy senate oresident of Nigeria, Ike Ekweremadu wit im wife Beatrice Ekweremadu Former deputy senate oresident of Nigeria, Ike Ekweremadu wit im wife Beatrice Ekweremadu

UK court don sentence former Deputy Senate President of Nigeria Ike Ekweremadu to 10 years in prison for organ trafficking plot.

Di court also sentence im wife Beatrice to six years while di doctor wey help dem, dia medical 'middleman' Dr Obinna Obeta get 10 years and dem also suspend im medical license.

Dis na afta dem convict Ekweremadu, im wife and Obeta for March 2022 on top accuse of organ-trafficking plot say dem bring one 21-year-old man to di UK from Lagos.

Dem convict Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, im wife Beatrice, 56, and Dr Obinna Obeta, 50, say dem conspire to exploit di man for im kidney, in di first of such case under modern slavery laws.

Authorities say dem carry di victim wey be street trader for Lagos go UK last year to provide im kidney for inside one £80,000 private transplant for di Royal Free Hospital for London.

Di prosecution say dem offer am up to £7,000 and promise am opportunities for UK for, and e na only wen e meet doctors for di hospital, e realise wetin dey go on.

Dem allege say di defendants bin dey convince medical personnel for di Royal Free as dem pretend say di victim na Sonia cousin, wey no well and dey collect dialysis every week, wen dem no relate.

Di Old Bailey hear say di organ na for di couple daughter, Sonia wey be 25 years old.

Dem clear am of di same charge.

Timeline of Ekweremadu organ harvesting plot saga

Authorities arrest Ike Ekweremadu and im wife for June 2022 afta investigation by di UK Metropolitan Police Specialist team.

Met Police bin tok for inside one statement wey dem share wit BBC Pidgin say:

"Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55 [born 10th September, 1966] of Nigeria dey charged wit conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of anoda pesin wit a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.

Ekweremadu, 60 [born 12th May, 1962] of Nigeria dey charged wit conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of anoda pesin wit a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting," di statement tok.

Dem launch di investigation afta detectives dey alerted to potential offences under modern slavery legislation for May 2022.

Met Police bin say dem safeguard di child and dem dey work closely wit partners for more support.

Den for late March 2023, UK court find di former Nigerian Deputy Senate President, and im wife, plus one medical "middleman" guilty of organ-trafficking plot.

Dis na afta weeks of trials on top di organ trafficking plot mata for di Old Bailey.

Di court come fix dia sentencing to Friday 5 May, 2023 for UK.