By Abasi Ita
The Federal Government has opened formal discussions with the United Kingdom to secure the transfer of former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, to Nigeria to complete his prison term.
A government delegation, acting on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, met recently with officials of the UK Ministry of Justice to explore a prisoner transfer agreement for the convicted lawmaker.
Ekweremadu is serving a nine-year, eight-month custodial sentence after a UK court found him guilty in 2023 of conspiring to traffic a 21-year-old for the purpose of organ harvesting to treat his daughter’s kidney condition. His wife, Beatrice, who received a shorter jail term, was released earlier this year, while another co-accused, medical practitioner Dr. Obinna Obeta, is serving a 10-year sentence.
The case drew global attention and triggered diplomatic conversations between Abuja and London, with analysts noting its implications for organ donation ethics, regulation, and medical consent procedures.
Confirming the diplomatic engagement, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, disclosed that talks are ongoing.
“Yes, consultations are ongoing with UK authorities on the matter,” Abdulkadir stated in a response to inquiries. “Nigeria has requested that the former Senator be allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria through a prisoner-transfer arrangement.”
It was learnt that Ambassador Tuggar and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), were among members of the delegation that held the meeting in London. They were later received at the Nigerian High Commission by Acting High Commissioner, Ambassador Mohammed Maidugu.
The UK-Nigeria diplomatic conversation comes amid growing calls from political stakeholders and cultural organisations urging the Federal Government to intervene, citing humanitarian grounds and the need for family proximity during incarceration.