United Kingdom government has rejected Nigeria’s request to transfer former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu to Nigeria to complete his jail term.
The decision by the UK Ministry of Justice means he will complete his sentence within the British penal system. Nigeria’s request was made under the Transfer of Sentenced Persons (TOSP) agreement, which allows foreign inmates to be repatriated to continue their sentences, subject to legal, diplomatic and humanitarian considerations.
British authorities have not publicly disclosed the reasons for the rejection. However, such decisions typically weigh factors including the gravity of the offence, the remaining sentence, the prerson’s health, and whether a transfer aligns with the interests of justice and treaty obligations.
Recall that Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, and a medical “middleman,” Dr Obinna Obeta, were convicted in March 2023 of planned kidney donation by a Nigerian young man. Prosecutors told the Old Bailey that the victim was flown to London to provide an organ for the Ekweremadus’ ailing daughter, Sonia.
Evidence showed he was offered a reward but was neither fully informed nor able to give free consent.
In May 2023, Ekweremadu was sentenced to nine years and eight months imprisonment His wife received four years and six months, and Dr Obeta was sentenced to 10 years. Sonia Ekweremadu was acquitted.
Nigeria’s request was widely viewed as driven by political and diplomatic considerations, as the incarceration of a former Deputy Senate President abroad remains a sensitive national issue. If granted, the transfer would have allowed Ekweremadu to serve the rest of his sentence under the Nigerian Correctional Service—though the remaining sentence length would have remained unchanged and any differences in conditions or parole eligibility would still be subject to treaty rules.
The rejection of Nigeria’s transfer request closes a potential pathway for Ekweremadu’s early return.
