Felix Ukpo, father of a Nigerian boy in the UK organ trafficking case against Nigerian senator, Ike Ekweremadu, is dead.
The man’s son, Boniface, confirmed his death to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
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The then-Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President, Mr Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, were convicted and later sentenced by a UK court for procuring and flying the 21-year-old David to the UK with the intention to harvest his kidney for their ailing daughter.
He died without seeing his son
Since the conviction and sentencing of Mr Ekweremadu, his wife and a medical doctor over the case by the UK court, the whereabouts of David were unknown.
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His family has remained silent since the end of the trial.
But speaking to reporters on Monday, Boniface regretted that the father had suffered pains and heartbreak over David’s ordeals.
He claimed that the father’s death was likely caused by the pains and heartbreak over David’s travails.
The son said the father had battled with the disappointment of not seeing his son for years.
Mr Boniface further claimed that the family had not spoken with David since the incident happened in 2022.
“My father died yesterday (Sunday) afternoon at 12 p.m. It’s so sad that since the incident happened in 2022, we have not spoken with my brother, David Nwamini.
“So, my father has been sick over the saga, and yesterday he finally died,” he told this newspaper.
Background
In June 2022, Mr Ekweremadu and his wife were arrested and charged with trafficking David to harvest his kidney for their ailing daughter.
They were arrested and charged alongside a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, over the incident.
In March 2023, the Old Bailey Court in the UK convicted Mr Ekweremadu, his wife and Mr Obeta of organ trafficking.
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In May of the same year, the court sentenced Mr Ekweremadu to nine years and eight months in prison.
The court also sentenced Mr Ekweremadu’s wife to four years and six months in prison, while Mr Obeta, the doctor who colluded with them, was sentenced to 10 years.
Mr Ekweremadu’s wife returned to Nigeria after her release from the UK prison in January 2025.
Going by the pronouncement of the UK court, Beatrice has not completed her jail term, which was four years and six months. It is unclear if she was granted a pardon in the European country.
PREMIUM TIMES had asked a former aide to Mr Ekweremadu if the ex-senator’s wife would need to return to the UK to serve out the jail term.
“I don’t have that information. But she’s out means she’s out finally. She will not go back to the UK,” the former aide responded.
