The London Metropolitan Police have arrested and charged two Nigerians with conspiracy to traffic a child to the United Kingdom in order to harvest organs.
The accused are former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and wife Beatrice Ekweremadu.
The police said on Thursday, June 23 that the charges followed an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime team.
According to a statement by the police, 55-year-old Beatrice is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.
Also, it said the 60-year-old Ekweremadu is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.
“The investigation was launched after detectives were alerted to potential offences under modern slavery legislation in May 2022,” the police said.
Ekeweremadu and his wife, the police noted, have been remanded in custody and will appear at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, June 23.
The statement noted that further details will not be provided as criminal proceedings are now underway.
“A child has been safeguarded and we are working closely with partners on continued support,” it added, without revealing the child’s gender.
Ekweremadu’s spokesperson, Uche Anichukwu, has been contacted by local media but has yet to respond as of the time of this report.
It was discovered in Pandora Papers, a file of documents which unmasked the hidden owners of offshore companies, secret bank accounts, private jets, yachts, mansions and artworks, that Ekweremadu is a UK resident.
He recently gave up his ambition to be Enugu State governor following the preference of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
