How EFCC’s case prolonged Ekweremadu’s UK detention

The application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking the forfeiture of 40 properties allegedly linked to former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu contributed to his continued detention.

Justice Ekwo said: “It is not hard to reason that the essence of the application for interim forfeiture by the Respondent (EFCC) is to give credence to the letter of 18th July 2022 to the Crown Prosecution Service and to give them a further reason for continued custody of Senator Ike Ekweremadu in the United Kingdom.

“The facts of this case present a heart-rending scenario and prompt me to say this- no Nigerian should be made to go through this kind of travail whether at home or abroad.

“Another evidence of bad faith is that the Respondent (EFCC) represented in this case that is a matter of interim forfeiture order against the assets in various locations belonging to Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Power Properties Limited, Ikeoha Foundation, and Beatrice N.

Ekweremadu.

“By this application, the Court was made to see all the properties mentioned in the exparte application as belonging to Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Power Properties Limited, Ikeoha Foundation, and Beatrice Ekweremadu.”

Ekweremadu has been detained on the orders of the Uxbridge Magistrate Court in the UK on the allegations of trafficking one David Ukpo to harvest his kidney for his daughters’ muchneeded transplant.

The spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren did not respond to calls and messages seeking a reaction.