Ekweremadu, wife risk 10 years in UK prison for organ trafficking

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, risk being sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in accordance with the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Following their guilty verdict delivered by Mr Justice Johnson on March 23rd, the duo was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on May 5.

The accusations were also faced by a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, and the Ekweremadus’ daughter, Sonia, who was later cleared of charges.

Ike Ekweremadu and his wife were arrested after a young man from Lagos reported their alleged plans to harvest his organ, for which he was to be rewarded £80,000 for donating a kidney to Sonia in a private procedure at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

The harvesting of organs falls under the umbrella of human trafficking, which is prohibited by the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The UK Modern Slavery Act 2015

According to the human trafficking offence in Section 2 Subsection 1 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, a person commits an offence if the person arranges or facilitates the travel of another person (“V”) with a view to V being exploited.

Subsection 2 states that it is irrelevant whether V consents to the travel (whether V is an adult or a child).

In Section 2 Subsection 7, the law stated that “a person who is not a UK national commits an offence under this section if any part of the arranging or facilitating takes place in the United Kingdom, or the travel consists of arrival in or entry into, departure from, or travel within, the United Kingdom.”

The penalties under the Act stated in Section 5 Subsection that a person guilty of an offence under section 1 or 2 is liable, (a)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life; (b)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or a fine or both.

In Section 5 Subsection 2, a person guilty of an offence under Section 4 is liable (unless Subsection 3 applies), (a)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years; (b)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or a fine or both.

Subsection 3 states that where the offence under Section 4 is committed by kidnapping or false imprisonment, a person guilty of that offence is liable, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life.