UK Refuses Nigeria’s Request for Ekweremadu to Serve Remaining Prison Term in Nigeria

The United Kingdom government has declined a request by the Federal Government of Nigeria to transfer former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu to Nigeria to complete his prison sentence.

Ekweremadu is currently serving a nine-year, eight-month sentence in the UK after being convicted in March 2023 for conspiring to exploit a young man’s kidney, an offence classified under the UK’s organ trafficking laws.

According to government sources, President Bola Tinubu had earlier in November dispatched a high-level delegation to London to appeal for Ekweremadu’s transfer under existing prisoner exchange or mutual legal assistance frameworks.

However, UK authorities reportedly informed the delegation that the request could not be granted, reaffirming that Ekweremadu must continue to serve his sentence within the United Kingdom’s correctional system.

The decision marks a significant setback in Nigeria’s diplomatic efforts to secure leniency or relocation for the former senator, who has been incarcerated since his conviction along with his wife, although she received a lesser sentence.

The Federal Government has not issued an official statement on the rejection, but diplomatic sources say Nigeria may continue to explore other legal or humanitarian avenues.