The Senate plans to send a delegation on a visit to the former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu who is in detention in the UK over alleged organ harvesting.
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said this after a closed-door meeting of Senators on Wednesday.
The delegation, made of members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, would depart Nigeria on Friday.
“I had a personal engagement with the Nigerian High Commissioner in Britain, who has done so well by presenting his team to be in the facility, where Ekweremadu is being detained.
“The High Commissioner has been able to provide some consular services including the engagement of lawyers to defend Ekweremadu and his wife in court.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyemma has been engaged to extend diplomatic support to Ekweremadu and give attention to the issue at stake,” he said.
Lawan, however, said the Senate would not go beyond its limits while urging that justice be done.
House of Representatives to Intervene
The House of Representatives also resolved on Wednesday to intervene in Senator Ekweremadu’s case.
The green chamber of the National Assembly said it would apply ‘legislative diplomacy,’ in its approach.
The House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila said this would involve him contacting the Speaker of the British House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, with the hope of getting the UK to follow due process in Ekweremadu’s investigation.
This is in addition to engaging with the Nigerian mission in the UK.
“I have spoken with the Nigerian High Commissioner who has been extremely proactive in this matter and I expressed the need for him to continue to avail Senator Ekweremadu with all the necessary assistance that he will need to prove his case.
“I think this should be heightened as well to the UK Parliament.
“I would try and get in touch with the Speaker of the Parliament whom I was opportune to meet with and had fruitful discussions with just a couple of months ago.
“I believe the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Buba Yusuf, should also get in touch with his foreign affairs counterpart in the UK Parliament,” Hon. Gbajabiamila said.
His remark was made on a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Abdulkadir Abdullahi.
Senator Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice were arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport on Thursday, 23 June as they were on their way to Turkey, accused of bringing a minor from Nigeria to the UK to harvest his organ.
The couple denies the allegation.
Further reports show the supposed minor, whom UK authorities believe to be 15, is 21 years old.
