Ekweremadu: Brother of alleged victim opens up

The organ harvesting allegations against former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife by UK’s Metropolitan Police took a new twist at the weekend when the younger brother of the alleged victim revealed more information about the supposed 15-year old boy.

The brother, Jonathan Ukpo Nwanmini, who claimed to be 22, revealed that the actual age of David Ukpo Nwanmini is not 15 as claimed by the Metropolitan Police, but 25 years old.

He said: “David is my elder brother because we are both of the same father with different mothers and we hail from Ebonyi State. I will be 22 years old by next month and David is 25 years old. I am aware that he travelled because he told me. He did not disclose the country he was travelling to. He simply told me he was going to school abroad.

“After some months of not hearing from him, I got his number from his girlfriend and called him. I asked about his studies and work.

READ ALSO: Organ Harvesting: More details emerge on Ekweewmadu’s case

He said it was fine but that he was not working yet as he needed to go to school first before he could be given a working paper. I told him about our dad who was not feeling fine.

This was the conversation we had this month since January when he travelled. He was staying with us here in Ikotun before he left. We both sell phone accessories. We spoke last week. We even spoke again this week.”

Last Thursday, the Metropolitan Police announced that Ekweremadu and his wife were charged to court over the allegation of bringing a child with the name David to the UK for organ harvesting.

The police added that an investigation was launched after detectives were alerted to potential offences under modern slavery legislation in May 2022.

Organ harvesting involves removing parts of the body, often for commercial gain and against the will of the victim. The former Deputy Senate President was said to have needed a kidney donor for his daughter, Sonia, who is down with renal failure.

Ekweremadu and his wife appeared at the Uxbridge Magistrates Court in West London last Thursday and were asked by the clerk for their address, they both replied: “Nigeria”.

While the court denied them bail, it ordered that they be remanded in Police custody till July 7.