Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court has adjourned the trial of Nigerian former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice Ekweremadu until July 7.
The London Metropolitan Police earlier on Thursday said it had arrested and charged the duo for conspiring to bring a child to the UK for organ harvesting.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
“These are serious allegations and these matters are now adjourned until 7 July back here at Uxbridge,” Magistrate Lois Sheard said.
Ms Sheard remanded both defendants into custody ahead of their hearing next month.
Meanwhile, the police said the child involved in the matter “has been safeguarded and we are working closely with partners on continued support.”
A source familiar with the matter said Ekweremadu’s child has been suffering from a kidney disease and needed a transplant.
The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said a donor was gotten and sent to the UK for investigation with the aim of providing a kidney.
The source said that the kidney did not match that of Ekweremadu’s child, adding that the donor was scheduled to return to Nigeria.
According to the source, the donor refused to return to Nigeria and instead reported to the UK police to seek asylum.
The Home Secretary, Priti Patel and Prime Minister Boris Johnson are grappling with the migrant crisis.
The EU had said that one of the real issues was organ harvesting.
