Man accused of helping politician to ‘bring man to UK to harvest his kidney’
Obinna Obeta, 50, from Southwark, south London, is charged under the Modern Slavery Act.
A man has been charged over an alleged plot with a wealthy Nigerian politician to harvest a man’s kidney.
Obinna Obeta, 50, from Southwark, south London, is charged under the Modern Slavery Act with arranging the travel of a man with a view to him being exploited between August last year and this May.
A second charge alleges he conspired with Ike Ekweremadu to arrange or facilitate the travel of the man with a view to him being exploited.
Obeta’s case was heard by Bexley magistrates on July 13 and sent to to the Old Bailey for trial.
It is alleged Ike Ekweremadu, 60, a district senator and lawyer, and his wife, Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, brought the 21-year-old man from Nigeria to the UK.
The man is said to have refused to consent to the procedure after undergoing tests at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north-west London.
The Ekweremadus allegedly treated him as a slave before he escaped and went to Staines police station in Surrey.
The couple were arrested at Heathrow Airport on June 21 after arriving on a flight from Turkey.
Ike Ekweremadu is charged with conspiracy to arrange or facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, while his wife is charged with arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation.
The couple deny wrongdoing or that there was a criminal conspiracy, and claim no exploitation occurred.
All three defendants, who are in custody, are due to appear at the Old Bailey on August 4.