The new British monarch coronation ceremony happening today (Saturday), may provide an opportunity for new King, Charles III to grant pardon to Nigeria’s embattled former deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, a legal practitioner Kayode Ajulo, has said.
Ajulo stated this in an interview on Channels Television on Friday.
In his words, “There must be a way out’ King Charles’ coronation is an opportunity for a pardon request.
There is a thin line between organ harvesting and donation. The UK Modern Slavery Act rarely weighs the intent of the action,” he added.
“Now that Ekweremadu has been sentenced, this is the time to do that (ask for pardon). Tomorrow King Charles III will be coronated as the King of England, as the Head of State.
“There is what is called royal prerogative for pardon, I believe anybody that wants to write a letter, anybody that wants to make a plea for Ekweremadu, this is the best time to ask the sovereignty of the United Kingdom; that is His Majesty King Charles III to pardon Ekweremadu.
“The precedent has been there since as far back as 1717, King George did the same. In 2003 and even as close as 2021, the same thing happened. Sovereign can do that and I believe that is the plea we need to do for Ekweremadu, not to be writing and interfering with the conduct of the court,” Ajulo said.
Recall that a UK court, on Friday, sentenced Ekweremadu to nine years and eight months in jail for plotting to harvest a man’s kidney for his sick daughter.
Ekweremadu’s wife Beatrice was handed four years, six months sentence while Obinna Obeta, a medical doctor got a 10 years’ sentence for the same offence.
The trio of Ekweremadu, Beatrice and Obeta were convicted of conspiracy to arrange the travel of a young Nigerian man who was identified as David Nwamini to Britain in order to exploit him for his kidney.
The organ was needed for Ekweremadu’s sick daughter, Sonia.
Their trial lasted for six weeks and conviction at the Old Bailey, London’s Central Criminal Court, is expected today.
The Prosecutor, Hugh Davies told the jury that the behaviour of Ekweremadu showed “entitlement, dishonesty and hypocrisy.”