A new twist in the ongoing criminal trial of Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu in the United Kingdom may jeopardize the alleged asylum application of their accuser, Mr. David Ukpo Nwanini.
In the resume trial on Thursday, new details of the accusation against the Senator and his wife emerged, which includes the fact that David has denied that he ever consented to donating his kidney to the senator daughter who is awaiting kidney transplant in the United Kingdom
David also claims that he was kidnapped by criminal gangs from an undisclosed street in Lagos, Nigeria and forced to travel to the United Kingdom in circumstances, which qualifies as “organ harvesting” under the UK Modern Slavery Act.
These “new disclosures give rise to conflict of laws as well as raises the challenge of prove of facts. Also much of these facts arise from events that happened in Nigeria than in the United Kingdom”, says a human rights lawyer – Williams Ukonu, who spoke to Clariform.
Consequently, the Attorney General of the United Kingdom, Suella Braverman has be assigned to review the case and advise on the suitability of continuing the trial in the United Kingdom or transferring same to “Nigeria where much of the facts originated” according to Barr Ukonu.
Should this happen, the possibility that Mr David Ukpo the accuser of the senator and his wife, who has already been confirmed not be a child as claimed, may also suffer setback.
He may be repatriated to Nigeria following the new emerging facts, which also includes contrary and convincing rebuttals of his age claim according to the Nigerian Immigration Services.
In a related development, Clariform reminds our readers that the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday resolved sending a delegation, comprising members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to the United Kingdom to visit Ekweremadu and his wife, in solidarity with the senator.
In statement by the Senate President, he further disclosed that the Nigerian High Commission in London has engaged the services of UK lawyers to provide legal defence to Senator Ekweremadu.
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Speaking further Ahmed Lawan said, “There will be a delegation to London to see Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife. A delegation from the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Senate will leave in the next two days for London for that purpose,” Lawan said.
“I want to urge all federal government institutions that can do anything to ensure that justice prevails in this case, that they do so.”
“I had a personal engagement with our Nigerian High Commissioner to Britain, Alhaji Isola Sarafa, who has done so well to establish contact with our colleague, who has been able to get his team to be in the court at Uxbridge where Ekweremadu was taken to,” Lawan added
“The high Commission has also been able to provide some consular services that include the engagement of some lawyers who will defend our colleague.
“We commend them for giving attention to the issue at stake. Equally, the Nigeria Foreign Affairs Minister has been engaged here, so that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes steps to provide diplomatic support for our colleague.
“Because this issue is already in court, we have limited opportunity to discuss beyond what we have done so far.
“But I want to ensure the family of our colleague, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and Nigerians, that the Senate will continue to engage with our ministry of foreign affairs as well as our high commission in London. The High Commission has done so much but we still expect that it will continue to provide any other further consular services.”
