The Federal Government has hired lawyers to defend a former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice, over allegations of organ harvesting.
The government hired the lawyers through the Nigerian High Commission to the United Kingdom.
These were disclosed by the Senate President Ahmad Lawan, after a closed-door session of the Senate on Wednesday in Abuja.
Lawan revealed that a delegation of the Senate would for London on Friday, July 1, to visit Ekweremadu and his wife.
The couple was arrested in London a week ago and arraigned at Oxbridge Magistrates Court.
The Court remanded the Ekweremadus in custody until July 7, 2022, the next adjourned date for the case.
According to Lawan, the fact-finding-visit by the Senate team would be undertaken by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which is chaired by Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa.
Lawan gave more details about the plan through a statement issued by his Special Assistant (Press) to Lawan, Dr. Ezrel Tabiowo, titled, ‘Senate delegation to visit Ekweremadu, wife in London’.
“I had a personal engagement with our Nigerian High Commissioner to Britain, Alhaji Isola Sarafa, who has done so well to establish contact with our colleague, who has been able to get his team to be in the court at Uxbridge where Ekweremadu was taken to.
“The high Commission has also been able to provide some consular services that include the engagement of some lawyers who will defend our colleague.
“We commend them for giving attention to the issue at stake. Equally, the Nigeria Foreign Affairs Minister has been engaged here, so that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes steps to provide diplomatic support for our colleague.
“Because this issue is already in court, we have limited opportunity to discuss beyond what we have done so far.
“But I want to ensure the family of our colleague, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and Nigerians, that the Senate will continue to engage with our ministry of foreign affairs as well as our high commission in London.
“The High Commission has done so much but we still expect that it will continue to provide any other further consular services.
“We have also mandated our committee on foreign affairs to engage with the British high commission here in Nigeria, to find more details on this case, as as far as the high commission is involved.
“There will be a delegation to London to see Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife. A delegation from the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Senate will leave in the next two days for London for that purpose.
“I want to urge all federal government institutions that can do anything to ensure that justice prevails in this case, that they do so.”
