Sonia who is being charged alongside her father Ike Ekweremadu, 60, her mother, Beatrice Ekweremadu, 56, and a Nigerian doctor Obinna Obeta, 50, pleaded not guilty today, January 13.

Ike, Beatrice and Obeta had also denied charges of conspiring to arrange the travel of another person with a view to exploit him, at the Old Bailey on December 20.

British prosecutors are alleging that they conspired with others, including a Nigerian-based family member identified as Isaac Ekweremadu, to arrange the travel of a 21-year-old man with a view of removing one of his kidneys for Sonia, who has a kidney-related disease.

Ike and Beatrice Ekweremadu were arrested after the young man claimed he was a victim of trafficking at Staines police station.

He claimed he never consented to the tests carried out on him and was treated like a slave upon arriving the UK. The alleged victim also said that he escaped from the house he was kept and was homeless for three days before going to the police.

The trial will begin at the Old Bailey on January 31 before High Court judge Mr Justice Adam Johnson.

Olamma had on Tuesday made the offer after Sonia announced that she needed a kidney donor because she had been diagnosed with rare kidney disease, FSGS Nephrotic Syndrome.

Sonia made the announcement on social media months after her parents were arrested in the United Kingdom and charged by the UK Metropolitan Police with conspiracy to facilitate the travel of another person for organ harvesting.

Reacting, Olamma stated that she was ready to donate her kidney to save Sonia and would want nothing in return.

The offer came weeks after the skit maker trended on social media for begging to be married to veteran Nollywood actor, Kenneth Aguba, who was homeless at the time.

She wrote on Facebook, “I (Annastasia Michael Olamma) want to donate one of my kidneys to Sonia Ekweremadu to save her life. I have made up my mind to do this to prove women can help women.

“If any of her relatives, mum, dad, and siblings cannot give out their kidneys to save their bloodline, then I will donate my own to save Sonia and I demand nothing in return. I pray it matches with her own.”

However, Olamma’s family members kicked against her decision, forcing her to take to Facebook Live to plead with them to allow her to go ahead with it.

“Yes, my family members are against it. I expected that initially because when my dad got to know about it, he wasn’t cool with the idea. He was like ‘you want to go and kill yourself?’ My family, I know this thing might hurt you people but please I am begging you… I wish to save somebody’s life. Pray for me so that nothing will happen to me. Pray for me so that the whole thing will go successfully,” she said.

Malami had on Thursday while briefing journalists said that “the Federal Government of Nigeria will not interfere with any local or international legal battle involving the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who is currently facing trial for alleged organ harvest in the United Kingdom.”

The AGF further claimed that “it has never been the tradition of the Nigerian government to interfere in anything judicial, local or international.”

The organisation, in a statement titled, “Ekweremadu: Ohanaeze disagrees with Malami, calls for FG’s intervention,” issued on Sunday by its spokesman, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, faulted the AGF’s claim, reminding him how Nigeria in late 2018 and 2019, brought her full diplomatic weight to bear in securing the release of Zainab Kila, a Nigerian lady, after 124 days in Saudi Arabia prison over alleged drug trafficking.

It also cited cases involving UK nationals in foreign countries, noting that the British Government intervened in favour of an ex-British serviceman, Captain Simon Mann, and the son of the late Prime Minister of Britain, Sir Mark Thatcher, who both faced charges in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Equatorial Guinea over a planned 2004 coup in the Central African country.

The apex Igbo body noted that during Kila’s case, the then Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had stated that the President had directed the AGF and other key government agencies to intervene which eventually saw to her release.

While noting that there is nothing beyond diplomatic redemption once there is a political will, Ohanaeze said, “We believe that Ekweremadu’s case should not be different, especially when Nigeria enjoys longstanding cordial relations with the UK, and all the individuals involved in the UK case are Nigerian nationals.”

The Igbo apex body said it was curious that the AGF is making reference to Nigeria “Child Rights Act” more than a month after the UK Court ruled that the “donor” is not a child.

It added, “One would expect Nigeria to feel scandalised by the initial contempt by the British authorities in discountenancing an official document of Nigeria on the ‘donor’s’ age in the first place and feel disrespected by the continued refusal to grant Ekweremadu bail for a clearly bailable offence.

“We reckon that Nigeria could never give the same treatment to a British parliamentarian of Ekweremadu’s pedigree.

“Ohanaeze believes that Ike Ekweremadu has served Nigeria meritoriously in various capacities while in the Senate as the Deputy President of the Senate; and the Speaker of the Economic Community of West Africa States, among others, and was decorated with the service honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic.

“The Nigerian government and indeed all Nigerians should know that a measured indignity to Ike Ekweremadu, an illustrious Igbo and a serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a sad denouement to Nigeria and indeed the entire Africa.

“We urge the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari and Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Nigeria High Commission in the UK, the Senate and House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to burnish their diplomatic channels in ensuring that Ekweremadu and his wife get the desired assistance by transferring the case to Nigeria.

Arise TV reports that the Ukpo has admitted to the court that he is 21 years old and had been in the UK since February but only presented himself to the police in May.

The counsel for the defendants has also denied the allegations of exploitation laid by the alleged victim.

The case was adjourned till August 4, 2022.

Senator Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, have been remanded in custody until the next hearing.

Present at the hearing were some members of the Senate and delegates from the Nigerian High Commission.

Also present were former Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnanya Abaribe, former Senate President, David Mark, former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Adamu Bulkachuwa.

The former Deputy Senate President said this on Tuesday at a consultation meeting with PDP leaders in the state.

Ekweremadu stated that a free and fair primary would ensure justice, equity, and peace among delegates and party members.

He said, “I am here essentially to solicit votes because all members of the party’s state executive are statutory delegates, starting from the House of Assembly to the National Assembly, and ultimately the gubernatorial primaries.

I am also here to further advise them to ensure a free and fair process. I would love to see everybody at the end say that our delegates and primary elections were free and fair. That is the only way we can ensure justice, equity, and peace.

Ekweremadu added that he looked forward to a productive exercise that would make the party united and stronger and called on PDP members to embrace democratic ideals. I am looking forward to a process that will be very transparent and productive so that we can all go to the election after the primary as one strong house, undivided.

I am equally calling on all stakeholders and aspirants to various offices to toe the path of sportsmanship and democratic ideals of the PDP. That way, the PDP will emerge stronger,” he added.

This is as he revealed that the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters has organised a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish one additional campus of the Nigerian Law School in each of the six geo-political zones.

He said on Facebook, “The Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, which I’m a member of, organised a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish one additional campus of the Nigerian Law School in each of the six geo-political zones. My position at the hearing was that we must not politicise the establishment of Law School campuses. Such a decision should be left at the discretion of the Council for Legal Education, which is empowered by the Act that established it. Moreover, there are existing campuses of the Law School spread across the six geo-political zones. My view was supported by the Council for Legal Education, Nigeria Bar Association, Body of Benchers, several of my other colleagues.”

He said the country stood to benefit immensely from the energy superhighway.

Ekweremadu, according to a statement by his media aide, Uche Anichukwu, stated this while interacting with reporters on the sidelines of the Climate Conference held in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.

The Senator said, “I think the greatest takeaway from this COP26 is the launch of the Green Grid because, for us as Africans, we see opportunity to contribute to world development and also to benefit thereof. With the Green Grid energy superhighway, it is most likely that there will be energy sufficiency across the globe. So, I am happy also that Nigeria has indicated an interest in being part of it. I am a member of the Climate Parliament. We deliberated on it and everybody was excited that Nigeria and Kenya in Africa are going to partner with the rest of the world, including the United States of America, to drive this initiative, which is going to be a mega revolution.”

Ekweremadu, regretted that Nigeria had not given the environment adequate attention in terms of funding as well as policy and legal frameworks. He however, expressed optimism that President Buhari, would sign the Climate Change Bill already passed by the National Assembly.

He said doing so would avail the country the needed quality legal framework to attract funds and better manage climate change.

He said, “Nigeria has not shown sufficient interest and commitment in terms of budgetary provisions to the Ministry of Environment and its agencies as well as funding projects and policies in the environmental sector. So, COP26 is an opportunity for those of us here to attract investments, opportunities, and supports from our global partners and the international community to drive some of these initiatives because climate change is real. Before we can get funding or support, you must have the necessary and well-articulated legal framework for us to drive these policies. So, I am happy that we have been able to pass the Climate Change Bill, which is awaiting the President’s assent. Hopefully, the assent will be accelerated now that the President is here and saw what is happening in different parts of the world and he must have interacted with his colleague Heads of States and Governments. On our part as legislature, we are also going to put pressure on the executive to ensure immediate implementation, making sure that all the necessary agencies that have to be set up are established immediately so that they will be able to take off. We are many years behind as far as this environment and climate issues are concerned. Therefore, we need to fast-track the processes and policies to see some improvements in this sector,”

The music star made this known during an interview with Object TV, when he was asked about the recent attack on a popular Nigerian Senator, Ike Ekweremadu in Germany by members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB)

He said “What I would say is that next time any group of Nigerians are planning to beat up any Nigerian politician, and they don’t let me know about it, I will be very offended. That is the only thing I have to say about that because I was in Europe. The more hands, the merrier”