Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has written to the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, in London, pleading for leniency for former Deputy Senate President Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice. The couple were convicted on 28 March of organ‑trafficking after a UK trial found they had lured a 21‑year‑old Nigerian to the UK to harvest a kidney for their daughter, Sonia, who required a transplant. Under the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act 2015, they face a possible sentence of up to ten years’ imprisonment, although the court has deferred sentencing to a later date.
In a letter dated 3 April addressed to the Chief Clerk of the court, Obasanjo asked the United Kingdom to temper justice with mercy. He acknowledged the seriousness of the Ekweremadus’ actions, describing them as “unpleasant and condemnable” and unacceptable in any civilized society. Nevertheless, he appealed for clemency on several grounds: the warm relations between the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ekweremadu’s status as a distinguished Nigerian senator, and the urgent medical needs of their daughter. Obasanjo urged the court and the UK government to consider the couple’s good character and parental instinct when determining any punishment.
Obasanjo also expressed hope that Mr. and Mrs. Ekweremadu would learn from this distressing experience and continue to be outstanding members of their community, contributing positively to society and the nation. In the same letter, he described Ekweremadu as a God‑fearing politician he has known for over two decades. He noted having followed Ekweremadu’s inspiring career across private legal practice and public administration, and recalled their close relationship during Obasanjo’s presidency (1999‑2007) as fellow members of the Peoples Democratic Party. Since Ekweremadu’s election to the Senate in 2003, Obasanjo has “truly cherished his God‑fearing, dispassionate, moderate and pan‑Nigerian approach to national issues and developments in our multi‑ethnic, multi‑religious polity.”
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