Beatrice Ekweremadu, wife of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, has returned to Nigeria almost two years after she was jailed in the United Kingdom over a high-profile organ trafficking case that drew global attention.
Mrs Ekweremadu arrived in Abuja on Tuesday, January 21, touching down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, where she was received by close friends and family members following the completion of all required legal procedures stemming from the case that began in 2022.
Her return comes after serving part of her four years and six months prison sentence handed down by a UK court. Beatrice Ekweremadu was convicted alongside her husband for her role in a conspiracy involving organ harvesting.
Ike Ekweremadu, identified by the court as the central figure in the plot, was sentenced to nine years and eight months imprisonment and remains incarcerated in the United Kingdom. The couple were found guilty of arranging the travel of a 21-year-old Nigerian street trader to the UK with the intention of harvesting his kidney for their daughter, Sonia, who suffers from chronic kidney disease.
The prosecution was carried out under the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act of 2015, marking the first conviction of its kind under the law for organ trafficking. A third defendant, Obinna Obeta, described as a medical intermediary in the scheme, was also convicted and is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence.
During the 2023 trial, the court cleared the Ekweremadus’ daughter, Sonia, of any wrongdoing. She continues to receive medical treatment for her condition.
Under UK law, individuals convicted of non-violent offences may be released on licence after serving at least half of their sentence, which paved the way for Mrs Ekweremadu’s release and return to Nigeria.
The case remains one of the most controversial legal episodes involving a Nigerian political family in recent years, continuing to spark debate around ethics, desperation in medical crises, and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.