South-East leaders are sharply divided over the Federal Government’s move to secure the transfer of former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, from a United Kingdom correctional facility to Nigeria to complete his jail term.
Ekweremadu was convicted in the UK in 2023 for organ trafficking after British authorities found that a donor was falsely presented as a relative for a kidney transplant for his ailing daughter, Sonia.
He is currently serving a nine-year, eight-month sentence, while his wife, Beatrice, who received a shorter sentence, has since returned to Nigeria.
But President Bola Tinubu has authorised fresh diplomatic engagements with the UK to enable the embattled senator serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria.
A delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, recently met UK officials in London over the matter.
The move has, however, reopened political debates in the South-East.
The President of the Igbo National Council, Chilos Godsent, said the timing of the negotiations had raised suspicion. He accused the Federal Government of political exploitation, warning that Ekweremadu could be caught in another round of political vendetta if returned home.
“There is no clarity. Are they bringing him back to release him, retry him or continue his sentence? Why now? Why during the build-up to the 2027 elections?” Godsent queried.
He blamed the Buhari administration for failing to protect Ekweremadu initially, saying the negligence allowed the UK to prosecute a sitting Nigerian senator.
Similarly, the President of Ala-Igbo Development Foundation, Prof. Awuzie Unachukwu, said the Federal Government’s request appeared politically motivated.
He questioned why the government was pushing to repatriate Ekweremadu while ignoring calls for the release of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“If this government wants to show compassion, why is it avoiding Kanu’s case?” he asked.
He added that Ekweremadu had “suffered enough” and should not be brought back to serve a sentence in what he described as Nigeria’s “dungeon-like prisons.”
But the Deputy President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, dismissed claims of political motives.
He said the apex Igbo body welcomed the plan and was willing to support Tinubu’s efforts.
“Ohanaeze is at the forefront of the push for his repatriation. Ekweremadu has done so much for Ndigbo and Nigeria,” he said, adding that the region must avoid politicising matters affecting its leaders.
The Abia State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Abraham Amah, also said there was nothing wrong with the FG intervening if it aligns with humanitarian and national interests.
“Every administration acts based on the realities before it. Buhari’s inaction does not mean Tinubu cannot act now,” he added.
Youth leaders from the region echoed similar sentiments. The President-General of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, Goodluck Ibem, said Ekweremadu’s transfer would strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s justice system.
“This move is beyond an individual. It signals a commitment to justice, fairness and accountability,” he stated.
The push to bring Ekweremadu home has also revived the long-dormant 2014 Nigeria–UK prisoner transfer agreement.
Despite the UK funding a 112-bed UN-standard wing at the Kirikiri Custodial Centre to facilitate the programme, no prisoner has been transferred under the scheme since it was signed.
The agreement is now being revisited. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokesperson, Alkasim AbdulKadir, Nigeria has submitted a formal request for Ekweremadu’s transfer.
Both Nigeria and the UK recently reaffirmed their commitment to operationalising the programme during the 2025 Nigeria–UK Migration, Justice and Home Affairs Dialogue in Abuja.
The renewed push comes as Nigeria grapples with chronic prison congestion, with over 70,000 inmates crammed into facilities nationwide.
Efforts to speak with the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, were unsuccessful as he declined comment.
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