Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo has written a passionate letter to a court in the United Kingdom to plead for clemency for Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who is facing a possible 10-year jail term alongside his wife and lawyer according to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 of the United Kingdom after a London court found them guilty of organ trafficking. They are presently in prison custody until May 5, when their sentencing would take place.
Obasanjo in a letter titled Re-Ike Ekweremadu and addressed to The Chief Clerk, The Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey London and signed with a double tile of Nigeria’s Military Head of State, 1976 -1979 and President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999-2007, recalled his military exploits as a commissioned officer in the British West African Frontier Force in 1958 and rose to the rank of full General in the Nigeria army, fought the 1967 to 1970 civil war and received the instruments of surrender of the Biafran Army at the end of the war.
Praising Senator Ekweremadu for his patriotism, party loyalty and humanitarian projects which have earned him the coveted national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR, Obasanjo urged the court to temper justice with mercy and set the Senator free because he, OBJ, is convinced the culprits have learnt their lessons.
According to Obasanjo, “Mr. Chief Clerk, I am very much aware of the current travails and conviction of Ike Ekweremadu and his wife in the United Kingdom resulting from their being 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.
“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 civilised society.
“However, it is my fervent desire for 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 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 and let punishment that may have to come take their good character and parental instinct and care into consideration.
“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.”
