By By Micheal Chukwuebuka
A landmark agreement struck between the United Kingdom and Nigeria could pave the way for the return of Nigerian nationals with no legal right to remain in Britain, including convicted offenders serving prison sentences.
The deal, signed during President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to the UK, covers failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers, and individuals detained in British prisons.
Among those who could potentially be affected is Ike Ekweremadu, a former Deputy Senate President of Nigeria, who is currently serving a nine-year-and-eight-month sentence for organ trafficking.
Ekweremadu was convicted in March 2023 after attempting to bring a young man from Lagos to the UK to provide a kidney for his daughter.
His wife, Beatrice, served a four-and-a-half-year sentence and was deported in January 2025.
A doctor involved in the case was also sentenced under British modern slavery laws.
The Nigerian government had previously sought to have Ekweremadu transferred to a Nigerian prison to serve out the remainder of his sentence.
A delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General visited London in November 2025, but the request was refused, with UK authorities citing concerns that Nigeria would not ensure the sentence was properly continued.
The new migration agreement, signed by Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, establishes a formal framework for the return of Nigerians who have exhausted their asylum rights, as well as convicted offenders awaiting deportation.
A government source confirmed that Ekweremadu could, in principle, benefit from the arrangement, though no final decision has yet been taken on his case.
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