By Ben Kerrigan-
A Nigerian politician accused of plotting to exploit a man for one of his kidneys preferred to subjecting stranger to medical
Ike Ekweremadu is accused of conspiring with others to bring a street trader from their home country of Nigeria to London to use him as an organ donor for his sick daughter Sonia.
Prosecutors allege the 21-year-old street trader from Lagos, Nigeria, was offered up to £7,000 and the promise of a better life if he made the journey to London, posing as Sonia’s cousin to obtain a visa for the UK.
The man’s kidney would then have been removed at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London and then subsequently transplanted into Sonia, who has a “significant and deteriorating” kidney condition, prosecutors allege
Instead of asking relatives to help, Mr Ekweremadu thought it was “far better to buy” a kidney, the Old Bailey heard.
The politician, 60, denies the charges.
The Nigerian senator, his wife Beatrice, 56, daughter Sonia, 25, and medical “middleman” Dr Obinna Obeta, 50, all deny plotting to bring the 21-year-old street trader from Lagos to the UK so he could donate a kidney.
The trial has previously heard that the man – who cannot be named – was to be paid up to £7,000 and promised opportunities in the UK for helping Sonia Ekweremadu.
After he was rejected for being an unsuitable match by medics at London’s Royal Free Hospital, the group turned their attention to Turkey, the court heard.
The alleged donor did not understand until his first appointment with a consultant at the hospital that he was there for a kidney transplant, jurors have been told at a previous hearing.
When he was rejected as unsuitable, it is alleged the Ekweremadus transferred their interest to Turkey and set about finding another donor.
The street trader was said by the consultant to have a “limited understanding” of what he was there for and was “visibly relieved” on being told the transplant would not go ahead, the court heard.
Under cross-examination on Thursday, Mr Ekweremadu was asked why he had not tried to find a suitable match among his family members.
The politician said he believed it was not an option after being relayed a conversation between his medic brother Diwe and Dr Obeta in September 2021.
The defendant said: “He would have had basic knowledge. I’m not a doctor so if he says so, I believe him.”
Prosecutor Hugh Davies KC questioned why Mr Ekweremadu had not asked one of the specialists he was consulting at the Royal Free whether a family member could donate a kidney.
Mr Ekweremadu suggested he had “limited intelligence”, something the prosecutor said was untrue.
“The fact is, you did not even try to ask Sonia’s cousins, for example, to consider acting as a donor,” Mr Davies told the court.
“Far better to buy one and let the medical risk go to someone you don’t know.”
‘Not the facts’, he replied.
Ekweremadu was asked under cross-examination today why he didn’t try to find a suitable match among his family members instead of trying to buy a kidney.
The politician said he believed it was not an option after being told about a conversation between his brother Diwe and Dr Obeta in September 2021.
Prosecutor Mr Davies said: “On the question of whether a family member could in principle act as a donor, you decided that was not possible based on a reported conversation between your non-nephrologist brother and Dr Obeta, a non-nephrologist?”
The defendant said: “He would have had basic knowledge. I’m not a doctor so if he says so, I believe him.”
But Mr Davies said: “All you had to do, rather than rely on a second-hand account from non-nephrologists, was to ask one of the specialists you were consulting whether a family member could donate a kidney.”
Ekweremadu suggested he had “limited intelligence”.
The prosecutor rejected the claim, saying: “It is incredible. You do not lack intelligence.
“The fact is you did not even try to ask Sonia’s cousins, for example, to consider acting as a donor.
“What you are saying is you had no intention of anyone in your family – immediate or extended – stepping up to donate a kidney to Sonia.
“Far better to buy one and let the medical risk go to someone you don’t know.”
Mr Ekweremadu said that treatment in Turkey was cheaper, but Mr Davies responded that the senator was a “wealthy man” who owned dozens of properties.
“You were looking to cut corners on your daughter’s clinical outcome to save money? You were a wealthy man, senator,” Mr Davis said
The defendant, who owns dozens of properties in Nigeria and Dubai and sent his children to be privately educated, denied being a wealthy man.
But Mr Davies said: “That’s not true. Think of the number of properties you own.”
Ike Ekeweremadu is worth an estimated $20m and has 40 properties. 10 of which are situated in Enugu, three in USA, two in the United Kingdom , one in Lagos, nine in Dubai, and 15 are located in the Federal Capital Territory.
Precise details of the Nigerian senator’s properties came to light after EFCC was ordered to temporally seize these properties which were linked to him.