The family of David Ukpo, who was taken to the United Kingdom by the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, for a kidney transplant, has cried out as they have not heard or seen their son ever since the incident.
The former deputy senate president and his wife, Beatrice, were sentenced for organ trafficking at the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, United Kingdom, on March 23, 2023, with Ekweremadu receiving nine years and eight months in prison and his wife receiving four years and six months.
Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and Obinna Obeta, a doctor acting as the middleman, were accused of trying to persuade doctors at London’s Royal Free Hospital to conduct an £80,000 transplant on 21-year-old David Ukpo, portrayed as the cousin of their daughter, Sonia Ekweremadu.
Naijaonpoint gathered that the family members in Ndioffia Ishieke village of Ebonyi State, David Ukpo’s hometown, revealed that they have not been in contact with him since the incident unfolded, leaving them uncertain about his fate and whether he is alive or deceased.
Speaking to the Vanguard at the family compound in Ndioffia Ishieke village in Ebonyi State, Mary Ukpo, 46, mother of David Ukpo, revealed that she last saw her son in November 2021 when he visited the village, and she has neither heard from nor seen him since then.
She said, “I don’t know if my son is alive or not because I have not heard from him since 2022.
“The last time I saw him was in 2021 when he came to the village. I am begging anyone who knows where my son is to please grant me access to speak to him.
“We heard Ike Ekweremadu has been sentenced to prison, but until this very moment, we have not heard from our son. It’s been years now, and I don’t know if he is alive or dead. David is my son and first child. I just gave birth to another child in his absence, which makes it seven younger ones that are next to him.”
David’s stepmother, Ukpo Felicia, tearfully recounted that his father had been unwell, with a swollen leg, since his departure.
In their tradition, the first wife is expected to care for David, his mother’s first child.
She expressed deep concern for David’s well-being, stating that he has been sending money for their upkeep since he left for Lagos, but they haven’t heard from him since.