The United Kingdom has rejected a request by the Federal Government of Nigeria to repatriate former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who is serving a prison sentence in Britain for organ trafficking.

Ekweremadu, 63, is serving time in a UK facility after he was found guilty in 2023 of plotting to harvest the kidney of a young man for his ailing daughter, Sonia.

His wife, Beatrice, and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, were also convicted in the landmark case — the first organ-trafficking prosecution under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act.

Recently, the Federal Government led by the foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, met officials at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to discuss Ekweremadu’s case. 

The delegation requested his deportation so he could serve his remaining sentence in Nigeria.

However, according to The Guarding UK, a source at the MoJ has confirmed the request was rejected.

The news platforms reported that the UK government was concerned that Nigeria could offer no guarantees that Ekweremadu would continue his prison sentence after being deported.

A source said is reported to have said that: “The UK will not tolerate modern slavery and any offender will face the full force of UK law.”

With this development, Ekweremadu will remain in the UK to serve out the remainder of his sentence.

Meanwhile, his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu, who was sentenced to four years and six months, with half spent in custody, was released earlier this year and has since returned to Nigeria.