The Senate plans to send a delegation on a visit to the former Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu on his arrest in London for alleged organ harvest.
President of Senate Ahmad Lawan, said this at resumption of plenary on Wednesday after a closed door meeting.
Lawan said the delegation, made up of members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs would depart Nigeria for London on Friday, July 1.
“I had a personal engagement with Nigerian High Commissioner in Britain, who has done so well by presenting his team to be in the facility, where Ekweremadu is being detained.
“The high commissioner has been able to provide some consular services including the engagement of lawyers to defend Ekweremadu and his wife in court.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyemma has been engaged to extend diplomatic support to Ekweremadu and give attention to the issue at stake,” he said.
Lawan said however, that the Senate would not go beyond its limits as the case was already in court.
He assured that Senate would continue to engage with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigeria High Commissioner in London on the issue to ensure that the senator was given all necessary support.
Lawan also urged government institutions involved in the case to ensure that justice prevailed.
The Federal Government through the Nigerian High Commission to the United Kingdom has hired lawyers to defend a former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, over allegations of organ harvesting.
The Senate President Ahmad Lawan who disclosed this after a closed-door session of the chamber on Wednesday, added that a delegation of the Chamber would on or before Friday this week visit Ekweremadu and his wife in London.
Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice were last week arrested and arraigned at Oxbridge Magistrates Court in London. The Court ruled that the former Deputy Senate President and his wife be remanded in custody till July 7, 2022, which is the next adjournment date.
The fact-finding-visit according to Lawan would be undertaken by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa.
He said that the lawmakers were briefed about Ekweremadu’s travail during the closed session and also apprised of the role the Nigerian High Commissioner to United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafadeen Ishola, has been playing to ensure that Ekweremadu gets all needed assistance.
He commended the High Commissioner and his team for the work they are doing in providing needed consular support for Ekweremadu.
“The High Commission has been providing all Consular Services including the engagement of lawyers to defend Ekweremadu,” Lawan said.
He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been engaged and is currently providing diplomatic support to Ekweremadu.
He assured Ekweremadu’s family that the Senate would work to get all needed support for Ekweremadu and his wife to overcome the present challenge.
He said: “Because the issue is already in court, there a limit to which we can say on the matter. We assure the family we will continue to do our best to support him.”
