Tinubu Sends High-Level Team to UK to Negotiate Ekweremadu Prison Transfer

President Bola Tinubu has dispatched a high-level delegation to London to negotiate the possible transfer of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who has been serving a jail term in the United Kingdom since March 2023.

The delegation, which includes Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar and Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, reportedly met with top officials at the UK Ministry of Justice on Monday. The talks, according to reliable government sources, focused on exploring legal and diplomatic grounds for Ekweremadu to complete his sentence in Nigeria.

Confirming the development, Alkasim Abdulkadir, spokesperson to the foreign affairs minister, said the move was part of broader consultations between both countries on prisoner transfer agreements. “The delegation is in London to engage UK authorities on possible terms that could allow the senator serve the remainder of his term in Nigeria,” he said.

Ekweremadu, a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was arrested alongside his wife in 2022 over a controversial organ transplant case involving a 21-year-old man brought from Nigeria to the UK.

Background To The Case

In June 2022, the Metropolitan Police detained Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, after the young man told authorities that he had been trafficked to Britain for an organ donation without his full consent. The organ was allegedly meant for the couple’s daughter, Sonia, who was suffering from kidney failure.

Following investigations, a UK court found Ekweremadu, his wife, and their associate, Dr. Obinna Obeta, guilty of organ trafficking under the UK Modern Slavery Act, a landmark conviction. In May 2023, the former senator was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison, while his wife received four years and six months. Obeta was given a 10-year term.

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Judge Jeremy Johnson ruled that part of Beatrice Ekweremadu’s sentence be served on licence, allowing her release earlier this year after meeting the required conditions.

Diplomatic Efforts And Next Steps

While Nigeria and the UK have long maintained cooperative diplomatic relations, this marks the first time the Tinubu administration is intervening directly in a criminal case involving such a high-profile Nigerian politician abroad.

Legal experts say the potential transfer of Ekweremadu to Nigeria will depend on the outcome of formal negotiations and existing international prisoner transfer frameworks. Some have described the move as a humanitarian gesture by the Nigerian government, while others argue it could test the strength of Nigeria’s correctional system and its capacity to manage sensitive political cases.

Neither the Nigerian nor the UK government has disclosed the outcome of Monday’s meeting. However, diplomatic sources hinted that discussions are expected to continue in the coming weeks.