The United Kingdom has turned down a request by the Federal Government to allow former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu to complete his prison term in Nigeria.
Ekweremadu is currently serving his sentence in a British facility after his 2023 conviction for plotting to harvest the kidney of a young man.
He was handed nine years and eight months in jail in a case that drew global attention and triggered diplomatic reactions.
A delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, recently met officials of the UK Ministry of Justice to press for his transfer.
The team asked that Ekweremadu be deported to Nigeria so he could serve the remainder of his term at home.
However, The Guardian UK reported that a source at the MoJ confirmed the request was turned down.
The report noted that British authorities were not convinced Nigeria could guarantee that Ekweremadu would continue serving his sentence after his return.
A source was quoted as saying: “The UK will not tolerate modern slavery and any offender will face the full force of UK law.”
