- L-R: Sen Ike Ekweremadu and PMB
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The apex Igbo socio-political and cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has blamed the Nigerian government of President Muhammadu Buhari for the travails of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who was, this week, sentenced to nine years-plus by a United Kingdom Crown Court on charges of organ harvesting.
–L-R: UK police, Ekweremadu and wife, Beatrice
His wife, Beatrice, 56, was also jailed for four years and six months as an accomplice, even as a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, 56, also bagged 10 years after the judge found that he had “targeted the potential donor, who was young, poor and vulnerable”. This is apart from suspending his medical practice licence.
Despite the details of the case being in public space, the Igbo group accused the Federal Government of hounding the politician so as to confiscate his properties.
In a statement on Saturday in Owerri, National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, accused the government of doing nothing to help Ekweremadu because it was after him as well.
“We feel sad. Ike Ekweremadu is an illustrious son of Igboland. He has been indicted and sentenced to long imprisonment.
“It’s unfortunate and saddening that this has befallen him. Ekweremadu is an eminent personality in Nigeria; he served the country meritoriously even as Deputy President of the Senate, and was Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament.
“For a man that has the kind of experience he has to be away from the scene for ten years, it’s very unfortunate. But we’re hopeful that they will overcome this travail.
“This is a man who has been around you, walked with you for years and when he needed your help, they were busy talking about auctioning his properties.
“They did not treat him like someone who has served meritoriously in this country.
“Rather, while he was facing the travails, the Federal Government came out with charges and allegations of corruption and seized his properties.
“All those things indicated that it was not only the UK court that was after him, but the FG was also after him,” Ogbonnia lamented in the statement./SHARE THIS
- Tags: PMB, Ike Ekweremadu
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