Former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, have filed a lawsuit against the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and others in connection with the controversy surrounding David Ukpo’s true age, Charmingpro reports.
The suit also names the Comptroller General (C-G), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Stanbic-IBTC Bank, United Bank of Africa (UBA), and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc as respondents 2nd through 5th.
Recall that Ekweremadu and his wife were remanded in UK police custody on Thursday after being tried at the Uxbridge Magistrate Court for alleged conspiracy to facilitate the travel of Ukpo, a minor, for organ harvesting.
The couple, however, denied the allegations, and the court continued the hearing until July 7.
However, in an originating summon marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2022, dated and filed June 27 before Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, the Ekweremadus asked the court for an order directing the NIMC to supply them with the Certified True Copy (CTC) of David Nwamini Ukpo’s biodata information.
According to the applicants, Ukpo’s National Identification Number (NIN):19438077110, which is in the agency’s possession, should be produced for the purpose of facilitating the criminal investigation and tendering the same to establish their innocence with regard to Ukpo’s age in the criminal charges against them before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court.
They also requested that the NIS C-G provide the applicants with the documents and application form of David Nwamini Ukpo in the possession of the 2nd respondent for the issuance of International passport No. BO0569974 for the purpose of assisting criminal investigation and issuing same before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court, UK until July 7 in the alleged criminal charge brought against the applicants.
The lawyer stated that the documents sought to be turned over to the applicants will help them defend themselves and prove their innocence of the charges in the interest of justice.
In the affidavit deposed to, Bright Ekweremadu, the lawmaker’s elder brother, stated that Ukpo informed the couple that he was 21 years old, having been born in the year 2000, and was ready to assist Sonia.
The case will be heard on July 1 by Justice Ekwo.
