Ohanaeze hosts British envoy, seeks reduced jail term for Ekweremadu

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has begged the British government to have clemency on the jailed former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, alongside a medical doctor,Obinna Obeta, were in May jailed by the UK over an  organ trafficking plot.

The UK court sentenced Ekweremadu to nine years and eight months in prison; Beatrice bagged  four years and six months  while the doctor was jailed for 10 years.

But on Tuesday, while receiving the British Higher Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, at its National Secretariat in Enugu, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo pleaded with the UK government to have mercy of Ekweremadu.

Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, who spoke on behalf Ohanaeze, said the Ndigbo would be happy should Ekweremadu’s jail term be reduced.

He said, “There is a very important issue that we have to bring to your attention. You’re aware of the case of Nigeria’s former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who was convicted and is in jail in your country. He’s from this state and we all know the circumstance he got entangled in that unfortunate incident because he wanted to save his daughter

“He is already serving a jail term. It’s unfortunate; but it has happened. I testified for him during the trial and in fact, the judge mentioned my name two times while delivering his judgment.

“But we’re using the opportunity of your visit to ask for leniency for him so that he doesn’t spend the number of years in jail. We have accepted the judgment, but are saying if there’s anything that could be done to reduce the jail term. He’s from this area and if we don’t bring this thing up as Ohanaeze or from us here, concerning this important son of Igboland, it wouldn’t be nice of us. We are quite overwhelmed.”

In his speech, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, appealed for the setting up of British Visa office in the South-East region.

He stated that the zone accounts for over 60 per cent of Nigerians traveLling to the United Kingdom, stressing that it was unfair that they were subjected to travelling to Abuja and Lagos to procure their Visa.

Iwuanyanwu, who recalled the long relationship between Nigeria and British government,  also appealed for bilateral collaboration to grow and develop the economy of the South-East region.

He identified insecurity that has now culminated in Monday sit-at-home as part of the challenges threatening the economy of the region, explaining that the new leadership of Ndigbo was working hard to resolve the crisis.

Earlier, Montgomery, who said he was on tour of the South-East, added that the visit would afford him opportunity to interact on areas of mutual collaboration with the British government.

He said that the British government would continue to advocate for peace in the country, stressing that the UK was delighted with the efforts by the Igbo in the development of Nigeria.