Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, wife of a Nigerian senator, Ike Ekweremadu, has been granted bail after appearing at the Old Bailey, United Kingdom, on Friday for bail hearing.
This is according to the Common Serjeant of London, judge Richard Marks.
Ekweremadu was accused of trafficking a 21-year-old into the UK to harvest his kidney for her ailing daughter.
“The position is that I have granted bail to Beatrice subject to some fairly stringent conditions but I have refused bail to Ike,” the judge ruled.
Ekweremadu was however denied bail.
Ike and Beatrice were arrested in the UK on 21 June after flying in to Heathrow from Turkey.
Prosecutors are not appealing the decision, the court heard.
Prosecutor Tim Probert-Wood said previously that the case involved ‘exploitation and the harvesting of an organ.’
He said, “The case began on 5 May 2022 when the complainant presented himself at Staines Police Station and claimed he had been transported to this country for the purpose of his kidney being removed.
“He arrived on 20th February 2022 and was taken to Royal Free Hospital where tests were conducted.
“For the purpose he was there he did not consent to the taking of his kidney. He returned to the house he was staying and his treatment changed dramatically. He described being treated effectively as a slave.”
A timeline of the event
Recall that Beatrice, 55 together with her husband, Ekweremadu, 60 allegedly trafficked the 21-year-old to London from the streets of Lagos in order to harvest his organ.
Beatrice is charged with arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation, between August 1 2021 and May 5, under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Ike is charged with conspiracy to arrange or facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.
The duo are accused of plotting to traffic the victim to transplant his organs to their daughter who suffers from kidney failure.
The victim allegedly escaped the address and was homeless for three days before he turned up at Staines Police Station.
Martin Hicks, QC, defending Ike, has said: “We deny that there was any exploitation or any intent to do so. The argument will be factual denial.”
The couple are due to appear at the Old Bailey on 4 August.
