THE Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has explained why the federal government cannot intervene in the alleged organ harvesting case involving a former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice, in the United Kingdom.
Malami said at a ministerial briefing held on Thursday, August 11, 2022, in Abuja that the Nigerian government cannot just meddle in the case on the mere excuse it involves a high-profile personality.
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“It has never been the tradition of the Nigerian government to interfere in anything judicial, local or international, and that stands the position of the government,” the minister said.
He stressed that the case against the Ekweremadus was not one in which the Nigerian government can develop any interest.
“Perhaps maybe, if there are interests, the interests should be rooted in law…we have mutual legal assistance and understanding with the UK.
“If, indeed, a criminal allegation is an issue, the jurisdiction determines what happens both in terms of request and of support,” Malami said.
The Ekweremadus are being accused of trafficking a homeless boy, identified as Ukpo Nwamini David, from Nigeria under the pretext of exposing him to a better life, but allegedly with the intention of harvesting his kidney.
It was gathered 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.
The duo were arrested on Tuesday June 21, 2022 at the Heathrow airport while on their way to Istanbul, Turkey, to procure another kidney for the transplant after David told the doctors he had been tricked into travelling to the UK and had no intention of donating his organ.
Beatrice was later granted bail on July 22 with strict conditions, while the court rejected the application to grant her husband bail.
UK’s Central Criminal Court adjourned the trial of the couple till October 31, 2022.