FG engages lawyers for Ekweremadu as senate prepares visit

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, says the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom has engaged the services of lawyers to defend Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, who are facing charges based on allegation of human trafficking and organ harvesting.

Lawan spoke after the senate emerged from a closed session on Wednesday before the start of plenary.

He added also that a delegation of the senate Committee on Foreign Affairs would depart Nigeria for London on July 1, 2022, to pay a visit to the embattled couple, presently in detention, after their case was adjourned by the Uxbridge Magistrates Court, London, to July 7, 2022.

Lawan, in a statement by his Special Assistant (Press), Dr. Ezrel Tabiowo, titled, ‘Senate delegation to visit Ekweremadu, Wife in London’, said the decision to wade into Ekweremadu’s arrest and detention followed a briefing by the Nigerian High Commissioner in the UK.

He further disclosed that the Senate would engage the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigerian High Commission in London on the matter.

He said, “I had a personal engagement with our Nigerian High Commissioner to Britain, Alhaji Isola Sarafa, who has done so well to establish contact with our colleague, who has been able to get his team to be in the court at Uxbridge, where Ekweremadu was taken to.

READ: Organ Harvesting: Ekweremadu, wife risk 18 years in jail on conviction

“The high Commission has also been able to provide some consular services that include the engagement of some lawyers who will defend our colleague.

“We commend them for giving attention to the issue at stake. Equally, the Nigeria Foreign Affairs Minister has been engaged here, so that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes steps to provide diplomatic support for our colleague.

“Because this issue is already in court, we have limited opportunity to discuss beyond what we have done so far.

“But I want to assure the family of our colleague, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Nigerians, that the Senate will continue to engage with our ministry of foreign affairs as well as our high commission in London.

“The High Commission has done so much but we still expect that it will continue to provide any other further consular services.

“We have also mandated our committee on foreign affairs to engage with the British high commission here in Nigeria, to find more details on this case, as far as the high commission is involved.

“There will be a delegation to London to see Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife. A delegation from the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Senate will leave in the next two days to London for that purpose.

“I want to urge all federal government institutions that can do anything to ensure that justice prevails in this case, that they do so.”