A Nigerian street trader, who accused the former vice-president of the country’s senate of trying to harvest a kidney in the UK, told a British court on Tuesday that he asked a police officer to “save my life”.
The 21-year-old from Lagos, who cannot be named for legal reasons, sued Ike and Beatrice Ekweremadu to fly to London to harvest a kidney for their 25-year-old son Sonia, who has kidney disease.
The alleged victim told London’s Old Bailey court that she had been sleeping on the street for three days after doctors at a London hospital told her she would not be a suitable donor after initial tests.
He then walked into a police station last May and said he was “looking for someone to save my life”, the court heard.
In his previous testimony, the former street vendor stated that he was recruited by a doctor who worked for the politician.
He told jurors he had come to England for work and only found out it was for a kidney transplant when he was taken to London’s Royal Free Hospital.
“No one told me about the kidney transplant,” he said.
He told the court that he would be paid about £2,000 ($2,418) for the operation and that he had been trained to tell doctors that he was part of the Ekweremadu family.
Three of the Ekweremadus and their doctor were tried at London’s famous Central Criminal Court. He has pleaded not guilty and faces up to life in prison if convicted.
In Britain, it is legal to donate a kidney, but not for a reward. Prosecutors said that while Lagos street traders gave their consent, crimes were committed by wealthy Nigerians.
The consultant doctor said the young man had a “limited understanding” of why he was there and “seemed relieved” to be told the transplant would not take place, prosecutor Hugh Davies had earlier told the court.
Ike Ekweremadu, 60, is the opposition Peoples Democratic Party senator for Enugu state in southeastern Nigeria.
He remains in custody after a judge agreed with prosecutors that he could try to flee the UK. His wife and daughter are out on bail.