There was excitement in parts of Enugu State following the return of Beatrice Ekweremadu, wife of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, after completing part of her jail term in the United Kingdom. She arrived in Abuja on Tuesday, January 21, 2026, and was received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by relatives and close family friends.
Her arrival marked her first time back in Nigeria since the commencement of a high-profile legal battle in the UK in 2022. Soon after the news broke, residents of her hometown, Mpu in Enugu State, were reported to have held low-key celebrations to welcome her home.
Beatrice Ekweremadu was found guilty in May 2023 by a London court for her role in a conspiracy involving the movement of a 21-year-old street trader from Lagos to the UK for an illegal kidney transplant. The organ was intended for her daughter, Sonia, who has been battling a long-term kidney ailment. Prosecutors charged the case under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act of 2015, making it the first conviction linked to organ trafficking under the legislation.
She received a prison sentence of four years and six months but was released after serving half of the term, in line with UK sentencing guidelines for non-violent offenders. Her release was reportedly influenced by good conduct while in custody and broader efforts by UK authorities to reduce prison congestion.
Meanwhile, her husband, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, remains in a UK correctional facility, serving a nine-year, eight-month sentence after being described by the court as the principal driver of the scheme. Efforts by Nigerian authorities to negotiate his transfer or release have so far been unsuccessful. Reports indicate that a proposed prisoner transfer arrangement discussed in late 2025 was declined by the UK Home Office over concerns about sentence enforcement.
Also convicted in the case, Dr. Obinna Obeta—described as the medical intermediary—continues to serve a 10-year prison term in the UK. Their daughter, Sonia, who was not charged, remains in Britain, where she is still undergoing medical care.