*Photo: Ekweremadu *
Embattled former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has been diagnosed with acute kidney damage in police custody in London, United Kingdom.
This was disclosed on Monday by his daughter, Sonia, who is also battling a kidney disease in a London hospital.
Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice were arrested in London by the Metropolitan Police on June 23 and charged with trying to bring a minor to the UK to allegedly harvest his organs.
The two who are currently facing charges of organ harvesting in the United Kingdom had brought a young man to London to donate a kidney to Sonia but the man reported them to the police, alleging he was forced.
Ekweremadu has remained in detention ever since as the court has refused to grant him bail.
Beatrice was however granted bail on stringent conditions by the Uxbridge Magistrate Court in the United Kingdom on July 26.
Beatrice was charged with arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation, between August 1, 2021 and May 5, 2022 under the Modern Slavery Act 2015, while the husband, Ike, was charged with conspiracy to arrange or facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.
In a passionate appeal for a kidney donor for herself, during which she also disclosed her father’s current health status , Sonia posted on Instagram on Monday that “The last 3 years have been extremely challenging. The charges being faced by my parents in London presently, are directly connected to my illness and have complicated matter for me and my family. I do not intend to delve into details of this unfortunate development as the matter is still in Court. I am however optimistic that the truth will prevail and it will end in praise to God.
In the circumstance above, I am appealing to anybody whom it may please to assist me willingly with a kidney donation in the name of God.
This appeal would have been utterly unnecessary as every member of my family is eager to donate their kidney to me, knowing that I would do the same for any of them. Regrettably, comprehensive medical examination showed that my case of nephrotic syndrome is a genetic illness and the doctors advised against donation from any of my family members, as it would likely reoccur. In the time that my father has been incarcerated, he has been diagnosed with acute kidney damage.”