Ike Ekweremadu, the former vice president of the Senate, is currently on trial in the United Kingdom for alleged organ harvesting. On Thursday, Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice declared that the Federal Government would not intervene in any domestic or international legal dispute involving Ekweremadu. On Thursday, during the 46th State House Briefing, which was hosted by the Presidential Communications Team at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, Malami made this information public to the media.
The UK Metropolitan Police charged Ike with arranging for another person’s travel so they might be harvested for organs. Ike, 60, and his wife Beatrice, 55, are claimed to have brought the 21-year-old Nigerian man to the UK. According to the prosecution, the couple planned on having his kidney removed so that their sick daughter could receive it. The AGF indicated in response to inquiries about the FG’s involvement in the case that it has never been the Nigerian government’s practice to meddle in any judicial matters, whether they be local or foreign. And the government’s stance remains the same.
In response to Senator Ekweremadu’s address, he stated during his presentation that Nigeria and other countries across the world had asked for and worked on a mutual legal assistance pact. If the senator requests something like that, the government would handle it. He recalled a request that had passed through his office and was meant to be forwarded by Senator Ekweremadu to the UK Crime Agency. The paper, according to Malami, was sealed and had only been viewed in his office, so he said he was unable to comment on it.
He asserted that the government and the UK have an agreement for reciprocal legal assistance and that they would respond correctly to any requests for assistance from outside made by any of the authorities, including the agency in the UK or the Senator as an accused or suspect. “But as far as interest as to the federal government is concerned, it is not a matter over which we can develop any interest. If there are interests, they should be rooted in law. For example, relating to the child in contention, we have Child Rights among others.” He claimed that since Ekweremadu is Nigerian, consular assistance was required.
