Ekweremadu: Court orders immigration, NIMC to supply bio-data of ‘organ donor’

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to supply certified true copies of the biodata information of the intending organ donor, David Ukpo, to former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice.

Justice Inyang Ekwo on Friday ruled that the documents should be produced to facilitate the criminal investigation and evidence in the case of Ekweremadu and his wife to enable them answer to charges against them.

The application followed the arrest and arraignment of the couple at the Uxbridge Magistrate Court in the UK over allegations of trafficking Ukpo for purposes of harvesting his kidney for their daughter’s transplant.

Ekweremadu’s counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), had in the suit with number FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2022, dated and filed on June 27, joined the Stanbic-IBTC Bank, United Bank of Africa (UBA); and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc as defendants in the suit alongside the NIS and NIMC.

The judge, who struck out the name of Nigerian Interbank from the suit, however granted the application as the other defendants did not object to it.

The judge agreed with the applicant that NIMC’s official production of Ukpo’s National Identity Number (NIN) 19438077110; NIS’ production of documents for the issuance of international passport No. BO0569974; Stanbic-IBTC Bank to supply of C-T-C of mandate card and account opening package of account No. 0032551834 with Bank Verification Number (BVN) 22509616391; UBA production of mandate card and account opening package of account No. 2195739574 with BVN 22509616391 would help to ascertain his real age and to defend the case in the UK.

Awomolo averred that Ekweremmadu’s daughter, Sonia, had a kidney failure that had been managed for about five years and approached David Nwamini Ukpo, who offered to donate one of his kidneys if it is compatible with that of his daughter, but when his kidney was found not compatible, he refused to return to Nigeria and informed the Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom that he was 15 years of age, instead of 21 years.

“After conducting various medical tests, the Royal Free Hospital in London decided that the said David Nwamini Ukpo was not a suitable donor because his kidney is not compatible with that of Sonia Ekweremadu.

“The applicants were arrested by the Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom on June 21 for the allegation that they brought a 15-year-old child (a minor) to the UK to harvest his organ.

“The applicants were charged before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court, United Kingdom on the 23rd of June 2022 for offences of conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.

“The court denied them bail and they are presently in the custody of UK authorities.”

Justice Ekwo fixed the case for hearing on July 7.