The Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice, have filed a suit against the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and others over the alleged organ harvesting victim’s age.
In an originating summon marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2022, they sought an order directing the NIMC to supply them with the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the biodata information of David Nwamini Ukpo to enable them to tender to the UK government and establish their innocence in the criminal charges against them.
Respondents in the suit include NIMC, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Stanbic-IBTC Bank, United Bank of Africa (UBA), and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc.
The suit filed by the lawmaker and wife
The couple had filed the suit on June 27 through their counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja division.
Mr. Awomolo said the application was brought pursuant to Order 3, Rule 1 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2019, Sections 6 and 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.
According to the lawyer, the Ekweremadus had taken the boy to the UK with his consent to be a kidney donor for their daughter if his kidney has been checked to be compatible after some medical tests.
The medical test conducted revealed that Mr Ukpo’s kidney was not compatible with their daughter as he is not a suitable donor.
Following the result of the medical observation, the boy was asked to return back to Nigeria but rather than do so, he approached the UK police for protection and told them he was 15 years old.
Speaking on the grounds why their reliefs should be granted the lawyer said “The applicants require documents from the respondents to assist in the fair criminal investigation and as facts in their defence to establish their innocence of the allegation in the charge and to prove that David Nwamini Ukpo is not a minor and indeed consented to the medical examination in the United Kingdom.
“The said David Nwamini Ukpo is presently in care, in the custody of British Authorities and he cannot be accessed by the applicants.
“The documents being sought to be handed over to the applicants will support the applicants in their defence and establish their innocence of the charges brought against them”, the lawyer said.
Reliefs sought
They sought among others, the following reliefs:
“An order directing the NIS C-G to supply the applicants with the documents and application form of David Nwamini Ukpo in the possession of the second respondent presented for the issuance of International passport No. BO0569974 for the purpose of assisting the criminal investigation and tendering same before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court, UK until July 7 in the alleged criminal charge brought against the applicants.
“An order of the court directing the Stanbic-IBTC Bank to supply the applicants with the Certified True Copy of mandate card and account opening package of account No. 0032551834 maintained by its customer, Ukpo, with Bank Verification Number 22509616391 in the custody of the bank, for the purpose of tendering same to establish the innocence of the applicants with respect to his age in the criminal charges filed against the applicants.
“An order of court directing UBA to supply the applicants with the Certified True Copy of mandate card and account opening package of account No. 2195739574 maintained by Ukpo with Bank Verification Number 22509616391 in the custody of the bank, for the purpose of tendering same to establish the innocence of the applicants.”
In case you missed it
- Nairametrics had previously reported that the lawmaker and wife were arrested in the United Kingdom for an alleged organ harvesting offence.
- Nairametrics also reported that Isah Idris, the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on Sunday clarified the age of the boy saying the boy is 21 years old.
What you should know
- Justice Ekwo has fixed July 1 for a hearing of the matter.
- Senator Ekweremadu and his wife were charged before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court, the United Kingdom on the 23rd of June 2022 for offences of conspiracy to arrange/facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.
- Following their arraignment last Thursday, The court denied them bail and ordered that they be remanded in the custody of UK authorities.
- In the suit filed in Abuja, the Ekweremadu are asking the court to direct the NIMC to produce the boy’s NIN for the purpose of facilitating the criminal investigation and tendering the same before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court.
Nairametrics
