Beatrice Ekweremadu, wife of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has returned to Nigeria nearly two years after serving a jail term in the United Kingdom.
Beatrice arrived in the country on Tuesday, January 21, touching down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, where she was received by friends and relatives.
Her return followed the conclusion of legal proceedings that began in 2022, after she was convicted alongside her husband over her role in an organ trafficking conspiracy that attracted international attention.
While Ike Ekweremadu was sentenced to nine years and eight months’ imprisonment as the principal actor in the case, Beatrice was handed a jail term of four years and six months.
The Ekweremadus were found guilty of facilitating the travel of a 21-year-old Nigerian street trader to the United Kingdom with the intention of harvesting his kidney for their daughter, Sonia, who suffers from chronic kidney disease.
The case was prosecuted under the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Also convicted in the case was Obinna Obeta, described as a medical “middleman,” who is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence in the UK.
Ike Ekweremadu remains incarcerated in the United Kingdom, where he continues to serve his sentence.
The couple’s daughter, Sonia, who was cleared of all criminal charges during the 2023 trial, is still undergoing medical treatment for her condition.
Under UK law, non-violent offenders are typically eligible for release on licence after serving half of their custodial sentence.
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