Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has appealed to the Chief Clerk of the Central Criminal Court in London to show mercy towards former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who was convicted of conspiracy to harvest organs in the United Kingdom. In a letter dated April 3, 2023, titled ‘Re: Ike Ekweremadu’, Obasanjo urged the court to take into consideration the Senator’s past records of good deeds and the plight of his ailing daughter.
Although Obasanjo condemned the action of Senator Ekweremadu, he appealed to the court to temper justice with mercy. He cited the warm relationship between the United Kingdom and Nigeria, as well as the Senator’s position as one of the distinguished members of the Nigerian Parliament. He also highlighted the dire medical condition of Ekweremadu’s daughter and the need for urgent medical attention.
“I do realise the implications of their action and I dare say, it is unpleasant and condemnable and can’t be tolerated in any sane or civilized society. However, it is my fervent desire that for the very warm relations between the United Kingdom and Federal Republic of Nigeria; for his position as one of the distinguished Senators in the Nigerian Parliament, and also for the sake of their daughter in question whose current health condition is in danger and requires an urgent medical attention, you will use your good offices to intervene and appeal to the court and the government of the United Kingdom to be magnanimous enough to temper justice with mercy,” Obasanjo wrote.
Ekweremadu and his wife were charged with conspiring to arrange the travel of a 21-year-old from Nigeria to the UK in order to harvest organs for their daughter. The former Deputy Senate President’s conviction has sparked widespread condemnation and calls for justice. However, Obasanjo’s letter seeks to appeal to the court’s sense of mercy and the need to take into account the Senator’s contributions to Nigeria’s socio-political development.
“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,” Obasanjo stated in the letter
