The Old Bailey will today hand a sentence to Nigeria’s former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice.
Also a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, will stand trail.
This is in line with their conviction for organ trafficking in March.
This verdict will be recorded as the first of its kind within the UK criminal court system.
Modern Slavery
Under the Modern Slavery Act, the Ekweremadus and their doctor, are likely to get sentences ranging between 10 years to a life jail term.
The lawmaker and his wife were brought before the court for a conspiring to arrange the travel of a young Nigerian man who was identified as David Nwamini to Britain in order to exploit him for his kidney.
The organ was needed for Ekweremadu’s sick daughter, Sonia.
Sonia was initially accused of being a part to the crime.
However, she was later cleared of the same charge after jurors deliberated for nearly 14 hours.
No Reward For Victim
Senator Ekweremadu and his wife denied the charges against them.
But the Prosecutor, Hugh Davies told the jury that the behaviour of the Ekweremadus showed “entitlement, dishonesty and hypocrisy”.
On his part, Dr Obeta, also denied the charge.
He says the victim in question was not offered a reward for his kidney and was acting altruistically.
Plea For Clemency
There have been several pleas for clemency on behalf of the Ekweremadus, with many listing the achievements and contributions of the lawmaker to the growth of Nigeria and beyond.
Some have implored the UK government to temper justice with mercy.
One of such was made by a former Nigerian president, Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo.
Also Read: Ekweremadu: Obasanjo Pleads For Leniency
Many say he is a statesman of impeccable character who happens to have made a mistake.
To them, the parliamentarian acted on the purview of parental instincts to save his daughter and not for commercial purposes.
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They further admit that “mistakes have been made, and lessons learnt”.
