*Former Nigerian Deputy Senate President Dr. Ike Ekweremadu, his wife, and a medical doctor are being accused of conspiracy to arrange the travel of a man with a view to exploitation under UK legislation on modern slavery

Alexander Davis | 绿帽献妻

Dr. Ike Ekweremadu, former Deputy Senate President Tuesday, March 7, 2023, to a London court that he feared he was being 鈥渟cammed鈥� in connection with the ongoing organ harvesting trial.

Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice, have been on trial in London for allegedly plotting to harvest a fellow Nigerian street trader鈥檚 kidney for his sick daughter overseas.

The erstwhile Deputy Senate President, 60, his wife Beatrice, 56, daughter Sonia, 25, and a doctor, Obinna Obeta, 50, are all accused of conspiring to exploit the Nigerian man for his body part in the foreign country, agency report said.

It was learnt the lawyers for the four previously told the trial at London鈥檚 central criminal court, also known as the Old Bailey, the alleged victim was acting 鈥渁ltruistically鈥�.

The kidney was allegedly intended for Sonia, who remains on dialysis with a renal condition, in return for up to 拢7,000 ($8,430) and the promise of a new life in Britain for the 21-year-old trader.

Giving evidence in his defence, Ike Ekweremadu was asked about an invoice for 拢8,000 he received via his brother Diwe from a consultant doctor.

Defence lawyer Martin Hicks then, asked: 鈥淲hy not at this stage say we are being scammed Dr. Obeta…?鈥�

鈥淢y daughter鈥檚 life was on the line, so if we stop we will be putting my daughter鈥檚 life in danger. So, we just keep moving,鈥� Ekweremadu replied.

The Nigerian Federal lawmaker, representing Enugu state in South-East Nigeria, reportedly stated: 鈥淓verybody was obviously taking advantage of my daughter鈥檚 ill-health.”

He has been held in custody in the UK since his arrest.

The legislator’s wife and daughter, however, are on conditional bail.

In Britain, it is legal to donate a kidney, but not for reward.

Prosecutors say regardless of whether the Lagos street trader gave his consent, a crime was committed by the wealthy Nigerians, according to report.

The accuser is said to have gone to UK Police after finally refusing to consent to the procedure, following preliminary tests at a north London hospital in February 2022.

鈥楽cary鈥� condition

A consultant doctor at the London hospital said the young man had 鈥渓imited understanding鈥� of why he was there and was 鈥渧isibly relieved鈥� on being told the transplant would not go ahead, prosecutor Hugh Davies said.

Ekweremadu told the court Monday Sonia was doing a Master’s degree at Newcastle University when she started experiencing 鈥渟wollen limbs鈥� December 2019.

She was later diagnosed with a 鈥渒idney issue鈥�, which caused her 鈥渄istress鈥�, and withdrew from her studies after she 鈥渃ollapsed鈥� in class.

Ekweremadu said his daughter鈥檚 deteriorating condition was 鈥渟cary鈥�, adding: 鈥淢edicines she was getting (were) not essentially working, so her situation was getting worse.鈥�

The prosecutor earlier said the young man had been coached to give false answers to doctors at the British hospital, and Sonia was 鈥渟inging from the same hymn sheet鈥� to create a fake family history linking the pair as cousins.

The Ekweremadus and the doctor are accused of conspiracy to arrange the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, under UK legislation on modern slavery.

Obeta purportedly managed the process in Nigeria, having himself undergone a kidney transplant in Britain with an organ donated by a 鈥渃ousin鈥� in 2021, the court was previously told.