The United Kingdom government has turned down a formal appeal by the Nigerian authorities to allow former Deputy Senate President Senator Ike Ekweremadu to complete his prison sentence in Nigeria. The decision follows a high‑level Nigerian delegation’s visit to London several weeks ago. The delegation, which included Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tugug and Attorney‑General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, had asked that Ekweremadu be transferred to serve the remainder of his term in his home country.
According to a report by The Guardian, an unnamed Ministry of Justice official confirmed the rejection, saying: “A source at the MoJ has confirmed the request was rejected. It is understood the UK government was concerned that Nigeria could offer no guarantees that Ekweremadu would continue his prison sentence after being deported.” The official added that any prisoner transfer is at the discretion of the UK authorities: “Any prisoner transfer is at our discretion following a careful assessment of whether it would be in the interests of justice.” The report also quoted the official as stating: “The UK will not tolerate modern slavery and any offender will face the full force of UK law.”
Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and a UK‑based medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, were convicted in March 2023 of organ trafficking under the UK Modern Slavery Act – the first such conviction in the country. Ekweremadu received a nine‑year‑eight‑month sentence, while his wife was sentenced to four years and six months; she was released earlier this year and has since returned to Nigeria after completing her term.
The Nigerian government’s request for a transfer was made on the basis of humanitarian and legal considerations, but the UK authorities indicated that without assurances of continued imprisonment in Nigeria, the request could not be granted. The decision means Ekweremadu will remain in a British prison to serve out his sentence.
