Court orders immigration, others to release David Ukpo’s details to Ekweremadu

July 1, (THEWILL) – A Federal High Court in Abuja, has ordered the release of the official details of David Nwamini Ukpo to a former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, who gave the order in a judgement delivered on Friday, directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and two commercial banks to release Nwamini’s details in their possession to the couple.

By the court order, all official information in relation to Nwamini, including the account opening package, are to be released to Senator Ekweremadu and his wife to ascertain his real age.

This followed an originating summon filed by Senator Ekweremadu and his wife, through their counsel and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adegboyega Awomolo.

THEWILL had reported that Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, were arrested and arraigned before an Uxbridge Magistrates Court in West London, for alleged trafficking of a 15-year-old David Ukpo into the United Kingdom for a concealed medical procedure to harvest and transplant his kidney to their ailing daughter.

The Metropolitan Police had said that investigation was launched after detectives were alerted to potential offences under modern slavery legislation in May 2022.

While a letter to the UK High Commission by Ekweremadu suggested that the lawmaker disclosed to the British embassy why he was taking David Ukpo to London, the NIS had also certify Ukpo to be 22 years old.

Despites these, the Metropolitan police on Thursday, insisted that Ukpo Nwamini was 15, a development that prompted the remand of Ekweremadu and his wife by the Uxbridge Magistrates Court, after it denied the couple bail.

The court subsequently adjourned till July 7, ahead of an advisory by the Attorney General on issues of Jurisdiction.

In a bid to clear his clients of the allegations, Awomolo approached the court in Abuja, seeking an order directing the NIMC to produce the Certified True Copy of the biodata of David Ukpo Nwamini.

Awomolo had prayed the court that Nwamini’s National Identification Number (NIN), which is in the possession of the NIMC, should be produced for the purpose of facilitating the criminal investigation and tendering same to establish his client’s innocence.

He asked that the Comptroller General of NIS be directed to provide his clients with the documents and application form, which Nwamini presented to obtain his international passport, for the purpose of assisting the criminal investigation and tendering same before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court in the UK.

Awomolo had also prayed the court for an order directing Stanbic IBTC Bank and UBA, to provide the Certified True Copy of Nwamini’s mandate card and account opening package in their custody.