Leaders of prominent South-Eastern groups are divided over the Federal Government’s plan to transfer former Deputy Senate President **Senator Ike Ekweremadu** from a UK prison to a Nigerian correctional facility. While some question the timing and motives, suggesting it may be aimed at boosting President **Bola Tinubu’s** 2027 re-election prospects, others maintain that political considerations are secondary.
Ekweremadu was convicted in the UK for organ trafficking after he and his wife, **Beatrice**, were arrested in June 2022. They were accused of attempting to facilitate a kidney transplant for their daughter using a man presented as her cousin. Under the UK Modern Slavery Act, Ekweremadu was sentenced to nine years and eight months, while his wife received four years and six months. Beatrice was released earlier this year and returned to Nigeria.
President Tinubu dispatched a high-level delegation, led by the **Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar**, and **Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi**, to London to discuss arrangements that would allow Ekweremadu to serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria. The team met UK Justice Ministry officials and later visited the Nigerian High Commission in London.
Opinions among South-Eastern leaders are split. **Chilos Godsent**, president of the Igbo National Council, questioned the government’s motives, warning against using the transfer as a political tool. He criticized past administrations for failing to protect Ekweremadu and urged that he serve his sentence in the UK. **Prof. Awuzie Unachukwu**, president of the Ala-Igbo Development Foundation, also questioned the government’s consistency, comparing Ekweremadu’s case with that of **Nnamdi Kanu**.
Conversely, **Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro**, Deputy President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, insisted the move is not politically motivated and endorsed Tinubu’s plan, emphasizing Ekweremadu’s contributions to the Igbo community. Similarly, **Abraham Amah**, Abia State PDP chairman, and **Goodluck Ibem**, President-General of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, praised the government for acting in the interest of justice and humanitarian concerns.
The case has also revived efforts to implement the long-stalled **Nigeria–UK Prisoner Transfer Agreement**. Signed in 2014, the agreement allows convicted nationals to serve sentences in their home country. A £700,000 wing built at **Kirikiri Custodial Centre** is ready to host transferred inmates, though no one has been moved under the scheme. Discussions with UK authorities are ongoing, and the government is seeking to operationalize the agreement amid overcrowded Nigerian prisons, which currently house over 70,000 inmates.
The Federal Government has also expanded correctional facilities nationwide to address congestion, but questions remain about the timing and political implications of Ekweremadu’s potential transfer.
