Femi Ashekun/
The United Kingdom has declined a formal request from the Federal Government of Nigeria to transfer former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu so he can serve the remainder of his prison sentence in Nigeria, multiple reports say.
Ekweremadu, who was convicted in London in 2023 of conspiring in an organ-harvesting plot, will therefore remain in a UK prison to serve the sentence imposed by a British court.
The decision followed a meeting last week between a Nigerian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar, and officials at the UK Ministry of Justice.
According to those briefed on the talks, the MoJ rejected the transfer request after concluding that Nigeria could not provide sufficient guarantees that Ekweremadu would continue to serve his sentence if deported.
The Guardian reported that UK officials emphasised that prisoner transfers are discretionary and are assessed on whether they are in the interests of justice.
Ekweremadu was convicted in 2023 alongside his wife, Beatrice, and a medical practitioner, Dr Obinna Obeta, after a trial in which the court found they had conspired to bring a young Nigerian man to the UK with a view to harvesting a kidney for the politician’s daughter.
The case was one of the first to be prosecuted under provisions addressing trafficking and modern slavery in the UK, and Mr Justice Jeremy Johnson described the offences as a “despicable trade”.
Ekweremadu received a sentence of nine years and eight months.
Beatrice Ekweremadu, who was handed a shorter term, was released earlier this year and returned to Nigeria, a development noted in coverage of the case and cited during discussions about repatriation.
Officials in London, however, indicated they would not transfer Ekweremadu without robust assurances that his sentence would be enforced on return.
What happens next is unclear.
Prisoner transfer requests can be resubmitted if the requesting state provides fresh assurances or satisfies procedural requirements under applicable transfer arrangements, but there is no guarantee a new application would succeed.
For now, Ekweremadu will remain in custody in the UK, serving the sentence imposed by the British courts.
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