Former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu stood still in his cell yesterday as Justice Johnson at the Old Bailey dismissed his daughter’s application to not face trial with him and her mother on “conspiracy to harvest organs” charges.
Sonia, 25, was docked alongside her mother, Beatrice. However, the senator, who was watching the proceedings via video link, appeared unfazed as the court concluded that she was not unfit to stand a “criminal trial lasting seven weeks,” as her defense attorney, Femi Oni, had claimed.
But it was a day of expert witness battles, as both her counsel and the Crown prosecutor utilized expert witness testimonies and reports to support their claims in court.
After hearing from the barristers and their expert witnesses, including their reports, and acknowledging that the treatment is taxing her and that she has had to withdraw from her Master’s degree program as a result of her diagnosis, the judge stated that it is not confirmed that her recovery or clinical care would suffer if she were to stand trial. He then determined that “the application is so dismissed.”
Senator Ekweremadu, who has been detained since June 23, 2022, was spotted wearing a blue blazer over a white blouse.
