Nigeria’s former senate vice-president and his wife appeared in a London court on Tuesday ahead of their trial for organ harvesting, but the accused’s daughter could not attend as she was in hospital.
Ike Ekweremadu, 60, appeared at the Old Bailey court on Tuesday morning in a gray tracksuit, saying only “Yes, miss” when asked to confirm his name.
He was accused with his wife, daughter, and doctor of bringing a 21-year-old man from Nigeria to have his kidney removed.
Arrest of Ekweremadus
Prosecutors said the defendants planned to remove a kidney from the man so that it could be given to the politician’s daughter, Sonia.
He was unable to attend court as he is currently in hospital in an unspecified condition, the court heard.
His defense team has also submitted a psychological report, declaring him unfit to stand trial.
Court adjourned after the meeting so the prosecutor could read the report.
Also read: Gunmen kidnap dozens of children from Nigerian farm
The accuser is said to have raised the alarm after disagreeing with the procedure, following initial tests at a north London hospital.
Charges were brought after the man went to police in a town outside London, and Ekweremadus was arrested in June last year at London’s Heathrow airport after flying to England.
Another man, Obinna Obeta, a 50-year-old doctor from south London, was arrested later.
The trial has been brought forward from a planned date in May.
Ike Ekweremadu’s bail request was rejected
Ekweremadu is a senator for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party for Enugu state in south-eastern Nigeria.
Ekweremadus and the doctor were accused of conspiring to arrange the travel of another person with the intention of exploiting them, under British laws on modern slavery.
The alleged violations are alleged to have occurred between August 2021 and May 2022.
Also read: Gunmen attack Nigerian train station, kidnap more than 30
Ike Ekweremadu applied for bail which was refused due to concerns that he might flee the UK.
Doctor Obeta was also arrested. Beatrice and Sonia Ekweremadu were released on conditional bail.
Beatrice, dressed in black, sat next to her husband in the dock during a court hearing on Tuesday morning.