Ohanaeze sends powerful message to Buhari over Ekeweremadu’s London case

Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has charged the federal government of Nigeria to mount diplomatic pressure on the United Kingdom government to transfer the trial of a former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremmadu, on alleged organ harvesting, to Nigeria.

Telescope.ng reports that besides, the Igbo group faulted the assertions by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, that the federal government would not intervene in the Ekweremmadu’s case.

The group described Malami’s stand as selective and biased.

Spokesman of the Ambassador George Obiozor-led Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr. Chiedozie Ogbannia, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP on Sunday, cited several cases in the past, which he noted were similar to Ekweremmadu’s current case, which the federal government waded in.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo insisted that the federal government should not abandon Senator Ekweremmadu, who represents Enugu West in the National Assembly.

Ohanaeze also accused the UK government of “conspiracy” in Ekweremmadu’s travails, insisting that since Ekweremmadu made it clear when he applied for a visa at the British Embassy for the Nigerian citizen, David Ukpo Nwamini, that the purpose was for the latter to travel to UK to undergo medical checks for purposes of kidney donation to his ailing daughter, it was wrong for the British government after granting the visa to turn round and start subjecting Ekweremmadu and his wife to a Court trial for human trafficking and organ harvesting.

The statement by the Ohanaeze spokesman reads: “The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has disagreed with the statement credited to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, that “the Federal Government of Nigeria will not interfere with any local or international legal battle involving the former Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, who is currently facing trial for alleged organ harvest in the United Kingdom.

He said: “Malami disclosed this to journalists on Thursday at the 46th Session of the State House Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

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

“Ohanaeze informs that cultural relativism is a vital factor in International relations. It connotes that the norms and values of one culture should not be evaluated using the norms and values of another. In fact, it is the mosaic of cultures and the liberty for groups or nations to exercise their cultural rights that form the basics of international relations.”