Ekweremadu Organ Harvesting Scandal: What UK Law Says

The former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Nwanneka Beatrice Ekweremadu currently await judgment on the alleged organ harvesting of a minor to save their ailing daughter’s life.

Initial assumptions are that the couple may bag a life sentence if found guilty of the offence.

The Ekweremadus were arrested and detained by the Metropolitan Police, London, the United Kingdom last Thursday over an alleged conspiracy to harvest the organ of a minor, David Ukpo Nwamini.

Going by the age he claimed, he was not old enough to give an informed consent on such a sensitive transaction.

According to the UK laws, the politician and his wife could be prosecuted for slavery, servitude or compulsory labour; sexual exploitation of a child under their care as entrenched under the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The Ekweremadus were arraigned at Uxbridge Magistrate’s Court but denied bail.

However an International passport of Nwamini sighted last week revealed that he is not a minor. However, the UK laws will take their course after interrogation.

The law says, “The United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act 2015 frowns at human trafficking under which organ harvesting falls and is punishable with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment upon conviction.

The Act partly reads, “Under S. 2, an individual commits an offence if they arrange or facilitate the travel of another with a view to that person being exploited. It is irrelevant whether that person consents to the travel, or whether they are a child or an adult.

“Under S. 3 of MSA 2015, exploitation includes: slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour; sexual exploitation (which involves the commission of an offence under s 1(1)(a) of the Protection of Children’s Act 1978 (indecent photographs of children), or Pt 1 of SOA 2003 (eg, rape or sexual assault); removal of organs where a person is encouraged required or expected to do anything which involves the commission of an offence under ss 32 or 33 of the Human Tissue Act 2004 (prohibition of commercial dealings in organs and restrictions on use of live donors); securing services etc by force, threats or deception; securing services etc from children and vulnerable persons (eg, physically or mentally ill or disabled).”

The Act states further that anyone found guilty of “human trafficking is liable on summary conviction to 12 months’ imprisonment and/or unlimited fine,” adding that “on conviction on indictment, the maximum sentence is life imprisonment.”