The Nigerian government has opened consultations with the United Kingdom to secure the transfer of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu to Nigeria to complete his prison sentence.
A delegation sent by President Bola Tinubu met with officials at the UK Ministry of Justice to discuss a possible prisoner transfer arrangement.
Ekweremadu is serving a nine-year, eight-month sentence for organ trafficking.
He was convicted in May 2023 under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act for conspiring to bring a 21-year-old Lagos street trader to Britain for a kidney transplant for his daughter, Sonia.
His wife, Beatrice, who received a four-and-a-half-year sentence, was released in early 2025.
A medical middleman, Dr. Obinna Obeta, is serving a 10-year term.
The conviction strained diplomatic relations and raised questions about organ procurement regulations.
While the Ekweremadu family insists they acted out of desperation, the court ruled that consent and ethical standards were ignored.
Confirming the talks, Alkasim AbdulKadir, spokesperson for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, said Nigeria has formally requested that Ekweremadu serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria.
The delegation, including Tuggar and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, met UK justice officials before visiting the Nigerian High Commission in London, where they were received by the Acting High Commissioner Mohammed Maidugu.
