The United Kingdom has declined a request from the Nigerian government to allow former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu to complete his prison sentence in Nigeria.
Ekweremadu is serving time in a UK facility after he was found guilty in 2023 of plotting to harvest the kidney of a young man.
The former lawmaker received a jail term of nine years and eight months following the conviction, which stemmed from a high-profile organ-trafficking case that drew international attention.
Recently, the Federal Government, led by Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar, met with officials at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to discuss the case of Ekweremadu.
The delegation requested his deportation so he could serve his remaining sentence in Nigeria.
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However, according to The Guardian UK, a source at the MoJ has confirmed the request was rejected.
The news platforms reported that the UK government was concerned that Nigeria could offer no guarantees that Ekweremadu would continue his prison sentence after being deported.
A source is reported to have said that: “The UK will not tolerate modern slavery and any offender will face the full force of UK law.”
With this development, Ekweremadu will remain in the UK to serve out the remainder of his sentence.
Meanwhile, his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu, who was sentenced to four years and six months, with half spent in custody, was released earlier this year and has since returned to Nigeria.
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