The Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice, have filed a suit against the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and others over the alleged organ harvesting victim’s age.
In an originating summon marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2022, they sought an order directing the NIMC to supply them with the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the biodata information of David Nwamini Ukpo to enable them tender to the UK government and establish their innocence in the criminal charges against them.
Respondents in the suit include: NIMC, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Stanbic-IBTC Bank, United Bank of Africa (UBA) and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc.
The suit filed by the lawmaker and wife
The couple had filed the suit on June 27 through their counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja division.
Mr. Awomolo said the application was brought pursuant to Order 3, Rule 1 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2019, Sections 6 and 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.
According to the lawyer, the Ekweremadu’s had taken the boy to the UK with his consent to be a kidney donor for their daughter if his kidney has been checked to be compatible after some medical tests.
The medical test conducted revealed that Mr Ukpo’s kidney was not compatible with their daughter as he is not a suitable donor.
Following the result of the medical observation, the boy was asked to return back to Nigeria but rather than do so, he approached the UK police for protection and told them he was 15 years old.
Speaking on the grounds why their reliefs should be granted the lawyer said “The applicants require documents from the respondents to assist in the fair criminal investigation and as facts in their defence to establish their innocence of the allegation in the charge and to prove that David Nwamini Ukpo is not a minor and indeed consented to the medical examination in the United Kingdom.
“The said David Nwamini Ukpo is presently in care, in the custody of British Authorities and he cannot be accessed by the applicants.
“The documents being sought to be handed over to the applicants will support the applicants in their defence and establish their innocence of the charges brought against them”, the lawyer said.
Reliefs sought
They sought among others, the following reliefs:
“An order directing the NIS C-G to supply the applicants with the documents and application form of David Nwamini Ukpo in the possession of the second respondent presented for the issuance of International passport No. BO0569974 for the purpose of assisting criminal investigation and tendering same before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court, UK until July 7 in the alleged criminal charge brought against the applicants.
“An order of court directing the Stanbic-IBTC Bank to supply the applicants with the Certified True Copy of mandate card and account opening package of account No. 0032551834 maintained by its customer, Ukpo, with Bank Verification Number 22509616391 in the custody of the bank, for the purpose of tendering same to establish the innocence of the applicants with respect to his age in the criminal charges filed against the applicants.
“An order of court directing UBA to supply the applicants with the Certified True Copy of mandate card and account opening package of account No. 2195739574 maintained by Ukpo with Bank Verification Number 22509616391 in the custody of the bank, for the purpose of tendering same to establish the innocence of the applicants.”
Incase you missed it
- Nairametrics had previously reported that the lawmaker and wife were arrested in the United Kingdom for an alleged organ harvesting offence.
- Nairametrics also reported that Isah Idris, the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on Sunday clarified the age of the boy saying the boy is 21 years old.
What you should know
- Justice Ekwo has fixed July 1 for hearing of the matter.
- Senator Ekweremadu and wife were charged before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court, United Kingdom on the 23rd of June 2022 for offences of conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.
- Following their arraignment last Thursday, The court denied them bail and ordered that they be remanded in the custody of UK authorities.
- In the suit filed in Abuja, the Ekweremadu’s are asking the court to direct the NIMC to produce the boy’s NIN for the purpose of facilitating the criminal investigation and tendering the same before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court.
This is too bad for the Ekweremadus. Don’t they have their own children and brothers to take for the kidney? Or is it another persons children is good to do it.
Poor people have suffering in the hands of the people who turned them to be suffering.
Since he’s the one that took the minor out of the country, why’s that he didn’t take the child back by himself to Nigeria? This his shouting and sueing will not lead them to anywhere. That’s the shouting of a drowning man.
May God heal Sonia of her ailment and help David to find his footings.
Tissue typing should have been done in Nigeria to get the correct match
Displaying sensitive information such as BVN and Account number of this boy publicly is data Breach. this is not right and this guy might later sue all the medias displaying these information publicly.
They are trying to HARASS and INTIMIDATE the poor kid…
Displaying sensitive information such as BVN and Account number of this boy publicly is data Breach. this is not right and this guy might later sue all the medias displaying these information publicly.
I know my comment will not be given approval or consideration but the truth must be told.
I pray God helps him to pass through this face, but what he did was wrong though but God will surely see him through
English intelligence can be very high. They will consider the dates associated with all the documents and go further to interrogate the boy as to how his names appeared in the documents as being above 15years. In the process, the bubble can burst if the boy insist that he’s 15years old and that all those documents were made for him to facilitate visa and travelling. Instead of all the ups and downs, is there no plea bargain in English criminal justice system? They should not forget that their daughter’s life is also at stake.
This is all the privilige of the ruling class. Do you think they suffer the ravages of the system common people do. Only the best service money can buy. At least by whom the good Senator calls to his side you will know who else is corrupt.