The former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has in a letter dated 3rd April 2023 and addressed to the Chief Clerk of the Court, appealed to the court in the United Kingdom handling the Organ Harvesting case involving the Former Deputy Senate President,Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu.
Last month, the couple and a Doctor were convicted for conspiring to harvest the organ of a 21- year – old man.
Popular reports has it that Ekweremadu is at risk of being sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in line with the Modern Slavery Act 2015 of the United Kingdom after a London court found him and his wife guilty of organ trafficking.
The former president in a letter titled ‘Re: Ike Ekweremadu’, said he was aware of their offence and grave consequences but in the light of grave consequences but that in the spirit of relations between Nigeria and the UK that they should temper justice with mercy.
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His letter reads:
“Mr. Chief Clerk, I am very much aware of the current travails and conviction of Ike Ekweremadu and his wife in the United Kingdom resulting from their being charged with conspiring to arrange the travel of a 21-year old from Nigeria to the UK in order to harvest organs for their daughter. I do realise the implications of their action and I dare say, it is unpleasant and condemnable and can’t be tolerated in any sane or civilized society.
“However, it is my fervent desire that for the very warm relations between the United Kingdom and Federal Republic of Nigeria; for his position as one of the distinguished Senators in the Nigerian Parliament, and also for the sake of their daughter in question whose current health condition is in danger and requires an urgent medical attention, you will use your good offices to intervene and appeal to the court and the government of the United Kingdom to be magnanimous enough to temper justice with mercy and let punishment that may have to come take their good character and parental instinct and care into consideration.
“I do hope Mr. and Mrs. Ekweremadu have learnt from this distressing experience of theirs to guide their future actions or inactions so they will continue to be outstanding members of their community and will continue to contribute fully to the good of the society in particular and the nation in general,”