EKO HOT BLOG reports that Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has appealed to London’s Central Criminal Court to show mercy in the case of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, and medical doctor, Obinna Obeta.
The trio were convicted in a United Kingdom court last month for conspiring to bring a young man from Lagos to London to exploit him for his kidney without his knowledge, under the UK Modern Slavery Act.
Ahead of their sentencing, Obasanjo has written an emotional letter to the clerk of the UK court, appealing for leniency on compassionate grounds.
He described Ekweremadu and his wife as “God-fearing” Nigerians who have used their position and resources to help less privileged members of the society in the past.
Through the lkeoha Foundation, a non-governmental organization founded by him and his wife in 1997, they have rendered a lot of charitable activities, enhancing poor people’s access to quality education and healthcare and building their capacity to participate in mainstream social, political and economic activities of their communities.
Ekweremadu’s conferment with the coveted national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR, is further testimony to his selfless service to Nigeria, Obasanjo added.
However, the former president acknowledged the gravity of the situation and the unpleasant and condemnable implications of the Ekweremadus’ actions, which cannot be tolerated in any sane or civilized society.
Despite this, Obasanjo appealed to the court to consider the trio’s good character and parental instinct and care, as their daughter, Sonia, is said to be down with kidney failure and requires a transplant to stay alive.
He pleaded that they be allowed to continue their parenting role in the life of their daughter, for whom they took the step initially and who is still in need of urgent medical attention.
Obasanjo’s letter reads:
“I do hope Mr. and Mrs. Ekweremadu have learnt from this distressing experience of theirs to guide their future actions or inactions so they will continue to be outstanding members of their community and will continue to contribute fully to the good of the society in particular and the nation in general.”
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