Kidney donor believed doctor was sent ‘by God’ to help him

A market trader, trafficked from Nigeria to provide a kidney for a senator’s daughter, told a court he thought he was coming to the UK to work and provide for his family.

Ike Ekweremadu, 60, allegedly illegally transported the man to the UK along with his wife Beatrice, 56, and 25-year-old daughter Sonia.

Ike, Beatrice and Sonia, along with ‘middleman’ Dr Obinna Obeta, 51, all deny conspiracy to arrange the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.

The alleged victim thought Obeta was sent ‘from God’ when he offered him the chance to come to the UK, the Old Bailey heard.

Sonia suffers from a ‘significant and deteriorating kidney condition’ and requires dialysis until she receives a transplant, the court has heard.

They offered the victim 1.2m or 3.5m Naira, the equivalent of £2,400 or £7,000, plus the promise of work and the opportunity to be in the United Kingdom, jurors heard.

The alleged victim appeared in court today via video link wearing a light blue jumper. He was assisted by a lgbo interpreter but spoke in English. He has been in the UK for the last year.

He told the court he was brought up in a Nigerian village by his father, a carpenter, and his mother, with four younger brothers and four younger sisters.

He does not know his own date of birth, but believes he is 22 years old.

His village had no running water or electricity and the family would mainly grow their own food, he told the court.

He attended a school in the village until he was 15, when he moved to Nigeria’s biggest city Lagos to work on his uncle’s market stall, selling phone parts, to support his mother and siblings.

His uncle eventually gave him money to sell his own mobile phone accessories from a wheelbarrow in the market with two friends. He lived with them in one room.

Dr Obeta is said to have had a successful kidney donation in 2021 with a Nigerian donor he claimed was his cousin.

Sonia’s donor met Obeta’s donor at the market, where he sold memory cards and power banks.

The victim claims he did not know he was being asked to donate a kidney for reward and believed he was being brought to the UK for work.

He told the court Dr Obeta was given his number by Obeta’s donor.

He said: ‘There had been some months I had not seen my friend in Lagos.

‘The first time Obinna called it was in the night, I don’t know the number so I didn’t answer the call because it was not Nigerian number.

‘He started talking about coming to London. He was going to bring me to London, going to stay at his house and I will work.

‘He told me that when I come there I should listen to him, like respect.

‘For first day he told me about London that day I did not take it serious, until the day that he sent me money to go to Abuja, that’s the day that I know that it was serious.

‘The first day that he called me he only told me about work, that is what he told me the first day that he called me.

‘He said that when I come to his house he will get work for me and he asked me not to tell people that I’m coming to UK.’

‘Why were you pleased at the thought of coming to London?’ prosecutor Hugh Davies, KC, asked.

He replied: ‘Because I want to come to work and I would be able to help my family, when I have enough money.’

‘Why did you think Obinna was helping you?’ Mr Davies asked.

‘Because I thought he’s from God’ the donor replied.

He said he was then sent 2,000 Naira to take a 12 hour bus to Nigeria’s capital Abuja for medical tests.

He said he did not know what the tests were for and did not ask. He was then taken to take photographs for a passport.

The court has heard this was managed by Dr Obeta’s brother-in-law Ogbonna Uchechukwu.

He then had more tests in Lagos, which he said he thought were to get him a Visa.

The donor was taken back to Abuja and flown to Heathrow a year ago today (20 February), the first time he had left Nigeria.

He said his passport was held by others throughout the journey and he never had possession of it.

He then arrived at Obeta’s London home, where he slept in the parlour, the court heard.

He was taken for a meal with Sonia Ekweremadu, where they posed for a photograph together.

Jurors were shown the photo of the pair smiling, with victim wearing a white t-shirt with an orange sun on it and Sonia wearing a black jumper with long black hair.

Later that week he was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in north London to meet with Sonia’s doctor, Dr Peter Dupont.

He said he was taken by Obeta and met Sonia and others outside the hospital.

‘They were discussing, like they was controlling me.

‘After the discussion finished Obinna called me and said I’m going to see doctor, that doctor was going to ask me question but they would give me the answer.

‘They said I should say that Sonny (Sonia) is my cousin and they give me many things to answer the Doctor.’

‘Is Sonia your cousin?’ Mr Davies asked.

‘No, it’s not my cousin, I don’t know her,’ the donor replied.

‘Obinna told me if the doctor asked me if they give me money I should tell the doctor they will not pay me.

‘They gave me a date of birth to day when they asked me my age.

‘That is the first day that I hear the name Ekweremadu.’

The Home Office had received his visa application on 6 January 2022, which said that he wanted to travel to the UK with his ‘cousin’ Sonia for an organ donation.

It stated: ‘Senator Ike Ekweremadu is sponsoring my medical treatment to enable me to donate an organ to Sonia Chinoso Ekweremadu in Royal Free Hospital London.

‘I wish to state in conclusion of this application that I would be donating an organ to my closest cousin in appreciation for her sacrifices towards me, my family and our community.

‘I am willing to put my life on the line for her to live and continue her good service to humanity.

‘Finally I wish to say that I will be travelling in company with my uncle Obinna Abalgou, he has been a father figure, since I lost my biological father’.

The donor told the court he never wrote a Visa application.

Ike also wrote a supporting latter and was receiving updates on the results of the medical tests, the court has heard.

After the transplant did not go ahead the donor is said to have left Obeta’s home and slept on the streets for three days before arriving at Staines police station and claiming he was the victim of trafficking.

Ike and Beatrice, from Nigeria, Sonia, of Staverton Road, Willesden, and Obeta, of Hillbeck Close, Southwark, deny conspiracy to facilitate the travel of another person with a view to their exploitation.

The trial continues.
ends