Obasanjo writes UK Court, seeks leniency for Ekweremadu, wife

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has written the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, London pleading clemency for Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice.

Obasanjo, in a letter, addressed to the Chief Clerk of the court, urged it to consider the relationship between Nigeria and UK as well as the health of Ekweremadu, daughter to temper justice with tender mercy over the organ harvesting plot case.

Obasanjo wrote in parts: “Mr Chief Clerk, I am very much aware of the current travails and conviction of Ike Ekweremadu and his wife in the United Kingdom resulting from their being charged with conspiring to arrange the travel of a 21-year old from Nigeria to the UK in order to harvest organs for their daughter.

“I do realise the implications of their action and I dare say, it is unpleasant and condemnable and can’t be tolerated in any sane or civilized society.

“However, it is my fervent desire for very warm relations between the United Kingdom and Federal

Republic of Nigeria; for his position as one of the distinguished Senators in the Nigerian Parliament, and also for the sake of their daughter in question whose current health condition is in danger and requires an urgent medical attention, you will use your good offices to intervene and appeal to the court and the government of United Kingdom be magnanimous enough to temper justice with mercy and let punishment that may have to come to take their good character and parental instinct and care into consideration.”