The Central Criminal Court, also known as the Old Bailey in the UK has sentenced former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice and Doctor Obinna Obeta to jail.
Ekweremadu was jailed for nine years and eight months, his wife Beatrice was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment while Obeta received a 10-year prison term at a sentencing hearing on Friday
The sentencing is coming after their conviction in March for organ trafficking. The sick daughter of the Ekweremadus’ Sonia, was cleared of any wrongdoing.
The court found the trio guilty of facilitating the travel of a young man to Britain with a view to his exploitation after a six-week trial at the Old Bailey.
They criminally conspired to bring the 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to exploit him for his kidney, the jury found.
The organ donor had been offered an illegal reward to become a donor for the senator’s daughter after kidney disease forced her to drop out of a master’s degree in film at Newcastle University, the court heard.
The verdict is considered the first of its kind under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.