A court in the United Kingdom (UK) has adjourned the trial of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, former deputy senate president over alleged organ harvesting, to January 31, 2023, while arguments would be heard on December 16 and 19, 2022.
This was made known by the Central Criminal Court in London, the United Kingdom.
Ekweremadu who represents Enugu West Senatorial District on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his wife, Beatrice were arrested on June 23 in London and charged with conspiracy for human trafficking and organ harvesting.
The UK court said Ekweremadu’s alleged crime was in violation of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Channels TV reports that though the Nigerian lawmaker was absent from court on Monday, his wife who was released on bail in July and their daughter, Sonia, were present at the Central Criminal Court in London.
Last week, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Nigerian Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered the interim forfeiture of Ekweremadu’s assets following an ex-parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before the court.
However, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, while reacting to the court’s decision described it as “hasty” and a “selective judgment.”
In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said, “We are aware that there are several allegations of corruption cases pending in the EFCC but the urgency and selective judgment in the case of Ekweremadu are not only curious but indeed true to type.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo calls on all the Nigerian legal luminaries of goodwill to intervene against gradual steps towards totalitarianism in Nigeria.”
There have also been calls to declare the lawmaker’s seat in the Senate vacant. With the latest decision of the UK court and the earlier ruling of a Federal High Court following the EFCC’s motion, there is uncertainty as to whether the Nigerian government would declare Ekweremadu’s Senate seat vacant.