Sonia, the daughter of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Monday appeared in court on charges of trafficking a homeless man into the UK so she could use his organs for herself.
The younger Ekweremadu, her father Ike Ekweremadu, 60, her mother Beatrice Ekweremadu, 56, and doctor Obinna Obeta, 50, were all charged with conspiring to arrange another person's travel with the intention of exploitation, according to the Daily Mail.
Ms. Ekweremadu has reportedly not yet made a plea, but her trial date has been set for January 31, 2023.
Sonia Ekweremadu , Image:Lindaikejisblog.
Sonia and the other accused were alleged to have made it possible for the man to go from Lagos to London to have one of his kidneys removed.
According to the prosecution, the plan was to use the man's organ for Sonia.
According to information provided to the court, Sonia has a renal condition and has been receiving dialysis for some time.
The Ekweremadus and Dr. Obeta were detained after the young man, who had previously lived on the streets of Lagos, showed up at the Staines police station and claimed to have been a victim of trafficking.
He claimed to have arrived in the UK on February 20 of this year and that he had been taken to the Royal Free Hospital for tests—none of which he had given his approval for.
After these tests, the man claimed to have gone back to the residence where he had been staying, where he was "treated effectively as a slave," according to The Daily Mail.
He claimed that after escaping the house, he remained without a place to live for three days before approaching the police.
Ike, a lawyer and former deputy-president of the Nigerian Senate, and his wife Beatrice were detained in the UK on June 21 after arriving at Heathrow from Turkey.
Ike and Obeta are presently being held on remand in the HMP Wandsworth and the HMP Belmarsh, respectively. They did not appear in court on Monday.
Beatrice appeared in court on Monday wearing a long black coat and a black head wrap after being granted bail at a hearing in July.
Beatrice and Sonia Ekweremadu, Image: Lindaikejisblog.
Sonia, who was seen with her mother while wearing a knitted, patterned vest, is also out on bail.
The defendants were scheduled to enter their pleas on Monday, but this was postponed due to further legal argument.
The Old Bailey moved the trial from May to January 31 of next year.
Oliver Glasgow, the prosecutor, stated, "We are told that this court is in a position to accommodate the trial...three months earlier.
“If an earlier date can be offered, and one can be, then it should be taken.”
A High Court judge will preside over the hearing and the trial will last four weeks.
On December 16 of this year, the Ekweremadus and Obata will return to the Old Bailey.
Politics and Opinion
Commentaires