A man who has been charged with allegedly plotting to harvest the organs of a child in the UK was a Nigerian politician who had recently been made a visiting professor at a UK university.
Ike Ekweremadu, 60, a district senator and lawyer, has been charged alongside a second defendant, Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, with conspiracy to arrange and/or facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation.
They are due to appear at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court, the Metropolitan Police said.
University of Lincoln
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The child, whose age is unknown, has been safeguarded and officers are working closely with partners on continued support.
The investigation was launched after detectives were alerted to potential offences under modern slavery legislation in May 2022.
Organ harvesting involves removing parts of the body, often for commercial gain and against the will of the victim.
Mr Ekweremadu was recently made a visiting professor at the University of Lincoln.
A spokesman said: “Visiting professors are often, as is in this case, non-resident at the university, unpaid and advisory.
“We are deeply concerned about the nature of these allegations but as this is an active police investigation, we cannot comment further at this stage.”
Ike Ekweremadu
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