UK Rejects FG’s Request for Ekweremadu’s Return, Says Nigeria Cannot be Trusted
UK authorities have turned down the request by the Federal Government of Nigeria that former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu be deported to Nigeria to serve out his nine year and eight months jail sentence in his home country, UK Guardian newspaper reports.
The UK government believes that Nigeria cannot be trusted, and therefore cannot guarantee that Ekweremadu will serve out his sentence in a prison.
63 year old Ekweremadu, was convicted for organ trafficking in 2023 alongside his wife Beatrice and Dr. Obinna Obeta. Mrs. Ekweremadu who was jailed for four and half years was realeased earlier in 2025, while Obeta who was jailed for 10 years and Senator Ekweremadu remain in prison.
FACTSHEET reported that the Federal Government of Nigeria sent a high level delegation led by the Foreign affairs minister and Minister of Justice to inferface with UK authorities on the possibility of deporting Ekweremadu.
However, the Guardian quoted a UK ministry of Justice official as saying that despite the diplomatic moves, “is at our discretion following a careful assessment of whether it would be in the interests of justice.”
The source maintained that, “the UK will not tolerate modern slavery and any offender will face the full force of UK law.”
During the sentencing of Ekeweremadu in 2023, Justice Jeremy Johnson described the trio’s actions as part of a “despicable trade.”
The judge stated that, “The harvesting of human organs is a form of slavery. It treats human beings and their bodies as commodities to be bought and sold.”
He specifically identified Ekweremadu as the “driving force” behind the plot, noting that the case marked a “substantial fall from grace.”
Ekweremadu is the first ever convict of the UK modern slavery law.
