The victim who was involved in the organ trafficking controversy of Ike Ekweremadu, a former deputy senate president of Nigeria, has declared that he is “not for sale.”
A British court sentenced Ekweremadu to a total of nine years and eight months in prison on Friday. Beatrice, his wife, received a term of four years and six months in prison for their involvement in a scheme to obtain a man’s kidney.
Dr. Obinna Obeta, a medical practitioner, was the third conspirator and received a 10-year prison term.
At the Old Bailey, Ekweremadu, his wife, and Obeta were found guilty of conspiring to arrange the victim’s travel in order to take advantage of him for a body part.
But the victim, who cannot be named because of legal reasons, claimed he was lured to the United Kingdom under the pretense of job opportunity in the country.
The victim said this in his impact statement which was read in court on Friday, Independence UK reports.
In the statement, the victim revealed his humble background in a Lagos village where he said he is the oldest of seven siblings living in a home without electricity or running water.
He was forced to become a street trader full time moving to the city to provide for his family when his father fell ill with a heart problem. He sold mobile phone accessories from a wheelbarrow making at most £7 a day and as little as 50p, the report added.
He claimed a chance to work in the UK was presented to him, something he had “always dreamed of but never thought would happen.”
He claimed, however, that he was horrified to learn that the journey had been made in order to remove his organs for Sonia, Ekweremadu’s daughter.
“He [Dr Obinna Obeta] did not tell me he brought me here for this reason, he did not tell me anything about this. I would have not agreed to any of this, my body is not for sale,” the victim said.
He continued by saying that he was afraid for his safety and could not go back to Nigeria. In Nigeria, the victim’s father allegedly received a visit from someone requesting that he convince the victim, his son, to withdraw the lawsuit.
“I worry for my safety in Nigeria; those people can do anything. I think they could arrest me or kill me in Nigeria,” he added.
He told the police he did not want to claim compensation from the “bad people” as it would be “cursed and bad luck”, the report added.
