The International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has sent a strong appeal to the Government of the United Kingdom pleading for leniency in the sentencing of former Nigeria Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, alongside his wife Beatrice and Dr. Obinna Obeta, who were last month found guilty and convicted under the Modern Slavery Act of the United Kingdom by the Central Criminal Court Old Bailey, London.
IHRC’s Ambassador at Large and Head of Diplomatic Mission to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Ambassador (Dr.) Duru Hezekiah made this appeal while speaking in his Office in Abuja while addressing newsmen.
He pointed out that Distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremadu is a Patriotic Nigerian, who has served the Nigerian Senate three consecutive times since 2003.
He went on to submit that going by the understanding of the Modern Slavery Act of the UK 2015, an Act to make provisions about slavery, servitude, and forced or compulsory labor and human trafficking, including provision for the protection of victims; to make provision for an Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner; and for connected purposes, the Nigeria former Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu, 60, his wife, Beatrice, 56, and Obeta, 51, were found guilty of facilitating the travel of a young man to Britain to exploit his organ for his daughter Sonia following her diagnosis which indicated that she required a kidney transplant.
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He ascribed that Senator Ike Ekweremadu acted on the purview of parental instincts to save his daughter and not for commercial purposes, as well, maybe ignorance of the law of the United Kingdom, adding that a Distinguished Personality and lawmaker of that repute wouldn’t involve himself in the such abominable act.
‘In conveying this Clemency, satisfactory evidence having been exhibited to me, the Head of Diplomatic Mission to the International Human Rights Commission in Nigeria, shows that Ike Ekweremadu is a law-abiding citizen of Nigeria. An honest man who has served his country and ECOWAS Parliament in various capacities as Deputy Speaker/Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, and has contributed positively to humanitarian aid and the development of politics in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Continent”, Dr. Duru hinted.
‘Although the Nigerian Senate, House of Representatives, and ECOWAS Parliament have appealed for your leniency in the sentencing of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, alongside his wife Beatrice and Dr. Obinna Obeta, paramountly due to the trust and confidence in the Integrity and Fidelity of Sen. Ike Ekweremadu who has great respect for international laws and treaties’.
‘However as a Transnational Intergovernmental Organization with an unrepentant approach against Human Trafficking, I avail myself this opportunity to express to you alongside Patriots in the world, our sincere appeal for your leniency in the foregoing testimony as stated therefore. Permit me also, to make reference to the Holy Bible; Grace and Mercy are only available to the unqualified and the condemned, meaning that a man can still be set free even when he has broken the law. The law will always condemn the best in us but Grace saves the worst in us. I therefore pray that you treat him and others with Love, Mercy, and Grace who I believe will in turn empower them to sin no more”.
‘I wish to express the hope that you will lend us your valuable cooperation and be rest assured that it shall be in my constant endeavor to maintain the trust and confidence of our relationships’, he maintained.
Africa Today News, New York reports that Ekweremadu is expected to be sentenced today.