A UNITED Kingdom (UK) magistrate court in Uxbridge has remanded former Nigerian Senate Deputy President Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Nwanneka in police custody until July 7.

The prosecution alleged that the Ekweremadus brought a homeless boy, identified as Ukpo Nwamini David, from Nigeria under the pretext of exposing him to a better life but with the intention of harvesting his kidney.

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According to the charge sheet, Ekweremadu and his wife allegedly procured a passport for the victim that showed his age as 21-years-old.

However, doctors at the Royal Free Hospital in the UK were forced to cancel the procedure when the teenage boy disclosed his real age to be 15 years.

AriseTV reported that the harvested kidney was to be transplanted to their daughter who had been diagnosed with kidney problems and has been on dialysis for some time.

“Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55 (10.9.66) of Nigeria is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.

“Ike Ekweremadu, 60 (12.05.62) of Nigeria is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting. Between August 2021 and May 6, 2022,” the charge sheet read.

The prosecution told the court that with the cancellation of the procedure to harvest the victim’s kidney by the hospital, he was maltreated by the couple, causing him to flee the house and seek help at a police station.

An investigation was launched after detectives were alerted to potential offences under modern slavery legislation in May 2022.

Ekweremadu and his wife were arrested on Tuesday June 21 at the Heathrow airport while on their way to Istanbul, Turkey to procure another kidney for the transplant, and had in their possession $20, 000 which has also been confiscated.

Subsequent requests by the legal representatives of the defendants for their clients to be released on bail were turned down by the court which insisted they posed flight risks.

The two accused will appear before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court on July 7, for continuation of the hearing.