Nigerian Senator’s Wife Accused Of Helping Husband To Traffick Homeless Man Into UK, Granted Bail

The 55-year-old wife of Nigerian senator Ike Ekweremadu who is accused of plotting to traffic a homeless man into the UK for organ harvesting has been granted bail.

Beatrice and her husband allegedly trafficked the 21-year-old man to London from the streets of Lagos in order to harvest his kidney for their daughter, reported This Daily. Their daughter is reportedly suffering from kidney failure.

Beatrice, an accountant, and Ike appeared at the Old Bailey for a bail hearing on Friday. The husband, who is a barrister and former Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, has been denied bail, reported Daily Mail.

Beatrice is charged with arranging or facilitating travel of another individual with a view to exploitation, under the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It allegedly happened between Aug. 1, 2021 and May 5, 2022. As for her husband, he is charged with conspiracy to arrange or facilitate travel of another individual with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.

According to Daily Post, Beatrice was granted bail by the Common Serjeant of London, Judge Richard Marks, under stringent conditions. The judge said that the position is that he has granted bail to "Beatrice subject to some fairly stringent conditions, but I have refused bail to Ike.”

The court heard that prosecutors are not appealing the decision taken by the judge. Earlier, prosecutor Tim Probert-Wood said that the case involved "exploitation and the harvesting of an organ." He noted that the case started on May, 5 this year when the victims. presented himself at "Staines Police Station and claimed he had been transported to this country for the purpose of his kidney being removed." The prosecutor shared that the man reached the UK on Feb. 20, 2022.

Once he arrived, he was allegedly taken to Royal Free Hospital where tests were done. The lawyer pointed out that the man "did not consent to the taking of his kidney." Probert-Wood said that the victim returned to the house where he was staying and "his treatment changed dramatically." The man "described being treated effectively as a slave," said the lawyer. The man allegedly fled and was homeless for three days. Then he approached cops at Staines Police Station.

Beatrice and her husband were arrested in the UK on June 21. They were flying in from Turkey to Heathrow. Defending Ike, Martin Hicks, QC, said that they deny that there was "any exploitation or any intent to do so," and that the argument will be "factual denial."

Beatrice and her husband will be back at the Old Bailey on Aug. 4.