South East Leaders Split Over Ekweremadu’s Proposed Transfer from UK Prison to Nigeria

Leaders in Nigeria’s South East are divided over the Federal Government’s plans to transfer former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu from a UK prison to a Nigerian correctional facility. Ekweremadu was convicted in the United Kingdom in 2023 for organ trafficking, following the 2022 arrest of him and his wife, Beatrice, over a failed kidney transplant arrangement for their daughter. While he was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison, his wife received four years and six months and has since returned to Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu sent a delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi to London to discuss arrangements for Ekweremadu to serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria. Following meetings with UK officials and a visit to the Nigerian High Commission in London, the federal government confirmed ongoing efforts to implement a prisoner transfer under the Nigeria–UK agreement signed in 2014, which has not yet been operationalized.

Reactions among South East leaders have been mixed. Chilos Godsent, President of the Igbo National Council, expressed skepticism, questioning the timing and motives, and warning against political manipulation. Prof. Awuzie Unachukwu, President of the Ala-Igbo Development Foundation, echoed doubts, contrasting Ekweremadu’s proposed repatriation with the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, and argued that returning Ekweremadu should not involve serving additional jail time.

In contrast, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Deputy President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, defended the move as non-political, calling for support for the President’s initiative and framing it as an opportunity to rehabilitate a political leader who had contributed to the release of Nnamdi Kanu in 2017. Abraham Amah, Abia State PDP Chairman, emphasized that motives aside, the action aligns with national interest and humanitarian considerations. Goodluck Ibem, President-General of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, highlighted the broader implications for justice and integrity within the region.

The prisoner transfer initiative has also revived discussions about the long-stalled Nigeria–UK Prisoner Transfer Agreement. The UK built a £700,000, 112-bed wing at Kirikiri Custodial Centre to meet UN standards, but no prisoners have yet been transferred. Nigerian authorities say consultations with the UK are ongoing, aiming to allow Ekweremadu to serve the remainder of his sentence locally.

The renewed focus on prisoner transfers comes as Nigeria faces severe prison overcrowding, with over 70,000 inmates nationwide, many awaiting trial. The federal government has opened new correctional facilities, including 3,000-capacity centers across the six geopolitical zones, to ease congestion and improve detention conditions. Efforts to comment further from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were unsuccessful.