Nigerian senator’s family ‘trafficked man for his kidney’

THE daughter of a Nigerian senator has been accused of trafficking a homeless man into the UK to harvest his organs for herself.

Sonia Ekweremadu, 25, is accused alongside her father Ike Ekweremadu, 60, her mother Beatrice Ekweremadu, 56, and Obinna Obeta, 50 a doctor.

They are all charged with conspiracy to arrange the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.

It is alleged they conspired together, with others unknown and with another family member Isaac Ekweremadu, to arrange the travel of a 21-year-old with a view to exploiting him between Aug 1 last year and May 5 this year.

They facilitated his travel from Lagos to London to remove one of his kidneys, it is claimed. Sonia has a kidney-related disease and has been on dialysis for some time, the Old Bailey has been told.

Prosecutors claim the plot was to harvest the man’s organ for her benefit.

They were arrested after the young man, who previously lived on the streets of Lagos, turned up at Staines police station in Surrey, claiming he was the victim of trafficking.

Ike, a former deputy president of the Nigerian Senate, and his wife Beatrice were arrested in the UK on June 21 after flying in to Heathrow from Turkey.

The defendants were due to enter their pleas but this could not take place yesterday because of further legal argument. The trial has been brought forward from May to Jan 31 next year at the Old Bailey.