Beatrice Ekweremadu, wife of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has returned to Nigeria nearly two years after serving a prison sentence in the United Kingdom.
She arrived in the country on Tuesday, January 21, landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, where she was welcomed by friends and relatives.
Her return followed the completion of legal and custodial processes arising from a case that began in 2022.
Mrs Ekweremadu was convicted alongside her husband for her involvement in an organ trafficking conspiracy that attracted widespread international attention.
While Ike Ekweremadu was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison as the principal offender, his wife received a sentence of four years and six months.
The Ekweremadus were found guilty of facilitating the travel of a 21-year-old street trader from Nigeria to the United Kingdom with the intention of harvesting his kidney for their daughter, Sonia, who suffers from chronic kidney disease.
The prosecution was conducted under the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Also convicted in the case was Obinna Obeta, described as a medical “middleman,” who is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence in the UK.
Ike Ekweremadu remains in a UK correctional facility, where he continues to serve his sentence.
Their daughter, Sonia, who was cleared of all criminal charges during the 2023 trial, is still undergoing medical treatment for her condition.
Under UK law, individuals convicted of non-violent offences are typically eligible for release on licence after serving half of their custodial sentence.
