By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
ELDER statesman and former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has appealed to the Chief Clerk of the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, London, to temper justice with mercy over the imprisonment of Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife.
Stonix News reports that the Ekweremadus have been in prison after being recently found guilty of attempted organ harvest of a 21-year-old to save their dying daughter from an acute kidney ailment.
Obasanjo, in the letter personally signed and dated April 3, 2023, while acknowledging the guilt of the duo, however, urged the UK government to consider the life-threatening travails of the ailing daughter of the Ekweremadus and show mercy.
Describing Ekweremadu as someone he has personally related with in over two decades and a pan-Nigerian, the Octogenarian appealed to the UK to also consider the couple’s humanitarian activities in the past years through which many lives had been touched.
“Mr. Chief Clerk, I am very much aware of the current travails and conviction of Ike Ekweremadu and his wife in the United Kingdom resulting from their being charged with conspiring to arrange the travel of a 21-year old from Nigeria to the UK in order to harvest organs for their daughter.
“I do realise the implications of their action and dare say, it is unpleasant and condemnable and can’t be tolerated in any sane or civilized society.
“However, it is my fervent desire that for the very warm relations between the United Kingdom and Federal Republic of Nigeria; for his position as one of the distinguished Senators in the Nigerian Parliament, and also for the sake of their daughter in question whose current health condition is in danger and requires an urgent medical attention, you will use your good offices to intervene and appeal to the court and the government of the United Kingdom to be magnanimous enough to temper justice with mercy and let punishment that may have to come take their good character and parental instinct and care into consideration.
“I do hope Mr. and Mrs. Ekweremadu have leamt from this distressing experience of theirs to guide their future actions or inactions so they will continue to be outstanding members of their community and will continue to contribute fully to the good of the society in particular and the nation in general.
“Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration,” the Owu Chief pleaded.
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