A Constitutional Lawyer, Kayode Ajulo, has written King Charles III, pleading for a Prerogative of Mercy for the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and wife, Beatrice over their conviction by a British court.
Ajulo made the plea in a letter to King Charles III and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday.
Ike, his wife and doctor, Obinna Obeta were sentenced to 9 years, 4 years and 10 years respectively in prison by an Old Bailey Court for violating British laws on kidney donation and transplant.
“Your Majesty, though invigorated by your coronation I witnessed the same with mixed emotions.
“Ekweremadu and his wife have been convicted and sentenced accordingly and I plead that you graciously and mercifully invoke the Royal Prerogative of Mercy in favour of the couple,” he said.
He described the chronicle of Ekweremadu and his wife was a sad one that left a bitter taste in the mouth.
He said their action was a “desperate” move by parents in their quest to save the life of their daughter Sonia”.
Ajulo said the lady in question was in dire need of a Kidney transplant but unfortunately, her parents their doctor went about the mission in the most unsavoury of ways.
He explained that Ekweremadu may have chosen to not publicly advertise for a kidney donor to avoid swindlers who could take undue advantage of his daughter’s ailment.
The Guardian however reports that Abuja-based lawyer, Abubakar Sani, who reacted to the judgment, applauded how the UK handled the case, saying investigators did their work well before the prosecution took the case to court.
“From all indications, everything was done professionally and competently. The sentence might appear excessive and or harsh, but overall, it does not appear to be inconsistent with the evidence. Too bad for the convicts, but the system worked efficiently. More than you can say for these parts,” he added.
On June 23, 2022, the London Metropolitan Police announced that it has arrested Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, for conspiring to bring an alleged 15-year-old boy to the UK for organ harvesting on June 23, 2022. The kidney donor David Nwamini’s travel was said to have been arranged between August 1, 2021, and May 5, 2022, with a view to exploitation, punishable under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.
