Tinubu Seeks UK Approval to Transfer Ike Ekweremadu to Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has initiated diplomatic efforts with the United Kingdom to secure the transfer of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, to Nigeria to serve the remainder of his prison sentence.

According to government sources, a high-level delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), met with officials of the UK Ministry of Justice in London on Monday to discuss the possibility of Ekweremadu’s repatriation under a prisoner transfer arrangement.

Following the meeting, the delegation visited the Nigerian High Commission in London, where they were received by the Acting High Commissioner, Ambassador Mohammed Maidugu.

Confirming the development in an interview with Arise News, the spokesman for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim AbdulKadir, said discussions are ongoing between both governments.

He stated, “Consultations are still ongoing with UK authorities on the matter. An appeal for a prisoner exchange for him to serve the remainder of his term in Nigeria was tabled before the United Kingdom authorities.”

Ekweremadu, who served as Deputy Senate President between 2007 and 2019, was arrested alongside his wife, Beatrice, by the London Metropolitan Police in June 2022. They were accused of attempting to traffic a 21-year-old Lagos street vendor to the UK for a kidney transplant intended for their ailing daughter, Sonia.

In March 2023, a UK court found Ekweremadu guilty of organ trafficking under the UK Modern Slavery Act and, in May, sentenced him to nine years and eight months in prison. His wife received a four-year, six-month sentence and was released in early 2025.