By Muhammed Akindele
The youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has expressed strong support for the Federal Government’s recent moves to facilitate the return of former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who is currently serving a jail term in the United Kingdom.
In a statement on Thursday, the National President of Ohanaeze Youths, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, described the development as “heartwarming” and a sign of renewed national inclusiveness. He noted that several appeals made during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration yielded no tangible intervention.
Okwu said the initiative by President Bola Tinubu’s administration has restored confidence among Igbo youths who have long called for diplomatic engagement on Ekweremadu’s case.
“This singular move by President Bola Tinubu further reinforces his love for the Igbo people,” Okwu said. “For years, we appealed to the previous administration, but nothing was done. Today, the government has taken steps to secure Ekweremadu’s possible transfer to Nigeria, and Ndigbo appreciate it.”
A federal delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, recently commenced consultations with UK authorities on the possibility of allowing Ekweremadu to complete his remaining jail term in Nigeria.
Okwu also praised the appointment of an Igbo service chief by the Tinubu administration, describing it as another gesture of inclusion. He urged the Federal Government to ensure that the process for Ekweremadu’s transfer is seen through to a “fruitful conclusion.”
Ekweremadu’s Conviction in the UK
Senator Ike Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and a Nigerian doctor, Dr. Obinna Obeta, were convicted in the United Kingdom in 2023 for conspiring to traffic a young Lagos trader for the purpose of harvesting his kidney for their ailing daughter, Sonia.
According to the court documents, the would-be donor, believed to be about 21 years old, was brought to London with promises of work and financial reward but later raised an alarm after realising the true purpose of the trip. A consultant at the Royal Free Hospital declined the procedure after becoming suspicious of inconsistencies in the family’s claims.
Ekweremadu was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison—marking the UK’s first organ-harvesting conviction—while his wife received four years and six months. Dr. Obeta was jailed for 10 years. Sonia Ekweremadu was acquitted.
