A wealthy Nigerian politician, his wife and a medical “go-between” were found guilty today of an organ harvesting plot involving a London NHS hospital.
In the first case of its kind in the UK, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, his wife Beatrice, 56, and Dr Obinna Obeta, 50, were convicted at the Old Bailey of conspiring to exploit a young man. from Lagos to get his body part.
Ekweremadus’ 25-year-old daughter Sonia, who was to receive a kidney from the trafficking victim, wept when she was acquitted of the same charge this morning. But she hugged her father with tears in her eyes when they sent him off the dock.
The victim, a 21-year-old street trader from Lagos, was brought to the UK last year to provide Sonia with a kidney in a private £80,000 transplant at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
The conspirators’ plan was for the victim to provide Sonia with a kidney for between £2,400 and £7,000 and the promise of work in the UK.
But a consultant working at the NHS hospital refused to remove the vital organ on suspicion and the police were called. The alleged victim initially seemed unaware that he was the kidney donor and was clearly not 41 years old as stated in her passport.
Nigerian Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, and his wife Beatrice Ekweremadu, 56, were sentenced at the Old Bailey for illegally transporting a man to the UK in February 2022 to provide their 25-year-old daughter Sonia with a kidney.
Sonia (pictured) suffers from a “significant and deteriorating kidney condition” and requires dialysis until she receives a transplant, the court has heard. She was cleared of participating in the plot today.
The family arranged the man’s trafficking with the help of ‘middleman’ Obinna Obeta (pictured), a Nigerian doctor who also underwent a transplant in the UK.
It is the first time the defendants have been convicted under the Modern Slavery Act for an organ harvesting conspiracy.
The victim, a 21-year-old street trader from Lagos, was brought to the UK last year to provide Sonia with a kidney for a private £80,000 transplant at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
While it is legal to donate a kidney, it becomes a crime if there is a reward of money or other material advantage.
The prosecution claimed that the donor was offered up to £7,000 and the promise of a better life in the UK.
It was alleged that the defendants tried to convince the Royal Free doctors by pretending that he was Sonia’s cousin when in fact they were not related.
When her transplant offer fell through, the family of Sonia Ekweremadu, who has an address in Willesden Green, northwest London, moved to Turkey and set out to find more potential donors, it is alleged.
An investigation was launched after the young man ran away from London and slept rough for days before walking into a police station more than 20 miles from Staines in Surrey, crying and distraught.
The victim, right, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was photographed smiling and sharing a meal with Sonia Ekweremadu (pictured left), who was supposed to receive her kidney.
Jurors heard that Sonia was one of four siblings who had been privately educated in the UK.
He was studying for a master’s degree at Newcastle University when he fell ill in December 2019.
In September 2021, her father, a prominent Nigerian politician, enlisted the help of her medically trained brother, Diwe Ekweremadu, to search for a donor, the court heard.
Diwe, who remains in Nigeria, turned to a former classmate, Dr Obeta, from Southwark, south London, who recently received a private kidney transplant at the Royal Free with a Nigerian donor.
In a text message, Diwe told his brother: ‘I had an extensive argument last night with my classmate who had a transplant last month. I will inform you.
Dr. Obeta then engaged with Dr. Chris Agbo of Vintage Health Group, a medical tourism company, as well as an agent to arrange a visa for the donor, the court heard.
The donor, who knew the man who donated his kidney to Dr Obeta, was recruited from a Lagos street market where he earned a few pounds a day selling phone accessories from a wheelbarrow.
He underwent tests in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, before arrangements were made to bring him to the UK last year, the court was told.
In his UK Home Office visa application, the donor was described as Sonia’s cousin and the paperwork was supported by a letter from Ike, jurors heard.
The court was shown messages in which Ike discussed with his brother the costs, including the donor fee of millions of Naira (Nigerian currency), it is alleged.
Ike kept his accountant wife informed of progress via text messages, the jury heard.
A forwarded message from Diwe complaining about a ‘huge bill’ from ‘Dr. Chris’, saying: ‘It seems like they’re all out to exploit people’s unfortunate situation.’
As travel plans progressed, Sonia was encouraged to build a relationship with the donor via text messages, the jury was told.
The jury was shown a photo of Sonia smiling with him at a meal in a restaurant in London.
Royal Free’s consultant, Dr. Peter Dupont, concluded that the donor was not an appropriate candidate after learning that he had no advice or counsel about the risks of the surgery and lacked funds for the lifelong care he would require.
Undeterred, a “corrupt interpreter” was recruited for £1,500 to assist in the donor’s second hospital meeting with a surgeon, the court was told.
Both doctors agreed with his assessment and in March of last year, Dr. Dupont gave his decision but did not explain the reasons, citing patient confidentiality.
Sonia Ekweremadu’s family immediately resumed their search for donors, the court was told.
After entering Staines police station, the original donor told police that he did not understand why he had been brought to the UK until he met Dr. Dupont.
Conveying his fears, he told police: “The doctor said I was too young, but the man said if I didn’t do it here, he would take me back to Nigeria and do it there.”
I spent three days sleeping outdoors, looking for someone to help me, to save my life.
At their trial, the defendants stated that they believed the donor was acting “altruistically”.
Ike Ekweremadu, who owns some 10 properties in Nigeria and Dubai, told jury he had trusted medical experts but suspected he was being “ripped off”.
On how he treated the donor, prosecutor Hugh Davies KC asked: ‘Does it show from start to finish that all he was to you was a body part for sale? Since he was going to get a job and they would pay him the 3.5 million naira, did you feel you owed him nothing?
The politician replied: ‘Never. It was a big scam.
Beatrice Ekweremadu, who worked in Nigeria’s auditor general’s office and has a doctorate in accounting, said her husband handled the household finances and she was not involved in finding donors.
They were asked why they didn’t find a member of their own family to ‘step up’ and donate a kidney to their daughter.
Mr Davies said it was “much better for them to buy one and let the medical risk fall on someone you don’t know”.
Sonia Ekweremadu, who continues to rely on weekly dialysis, declined to comment but was told on her behalf that she knew nothing of a reward offered to donors.
Dr Obeta’s lawyer, Sally Howes KC, told the jury: “He was motivated by his desire to help a fellow citizen because no one would understand misery and pain like someone who had been through it.”
Following the guilty verdicts, Judge Johnson ordered the defendants remanded in custody for sentencing on May 5.
Sonia Ekweremadu hugged her father with tears in her eyes as he was lowered from the pier.
