The International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has written to the United Kingdom Government over sentencing of a former Nigerian Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, alongside with his wife Beatrice, and Dr. Obinna Obeta, who were found guilty and convicted under the Modern Slavery Act of the United Kingdom by the Central Criminal Court Old Bailey in London to 10 years imprisonment.
The Commission’s Ambassador at Large and Head of Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria, Dr. Duru Hezekiah made the appeal on Wednesday at his Office in Abuja while addressing newsmen, even as he noted that Ekweremadu is a Patriotic Nigerian, who has served the Nigerian Senate three consecutive times since 2003.
It could be recalled that understanding the Modern Slavery Act of the UK 2015, an Act to make provisions about slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labor and human trafficking, including provision for the protection of victims; to make provision for an Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner; and for connected purposes, the Nigeria former Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu, 60, his wife, Beatrice, 56, and Obeta, 51, were found guilty of facilitating the travel of a young man to Britain to exploit his organ for his daughter, Sonia, following her diagnosis which indicated that she required a kidney transplant.
Meanwhile in a press statement, Dr. Duru had seek for the UK government to temper justice with mercy the former deputy senate president, others while extoling the patriotic service the former has rendered to Nigeria and Africa parliament: “Although the Nigerian Senate, House of Representatives, and ECOWAS Parliament have appealed for your leniency in the sentencing of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, alongside his wife Beatrice and Dr. Obinna Obeta, paramountly due to the trust and confidence in the Integrity and Fidelity of Sen. Ike Ekweremadu who has great respect for international laws and treaties”.
“However as a Transnational Intergovernmental Organization with an unrepentant approach against Human Trafficking, I avail myself this opportunity to express to you alongside Patriots in the world, our sincere appeal for your leniency in the foregoing testimony as stated. Thus, permit me to make reference to the Holy Bible; Grace and Mercy are only available to the unqualified and the condemned, meaning that a man can still be set free even when he has broken the law. The law will always condemn the best in us but Grace saves the worst in us. I therefore pray that you treat him and others with Love, Mercy and Grace who I believe will in turn empower them to sin no more.”
“I wish to express the hope that you will lend us your valuable cooperation and be rest assured that it shall be in my constant endeavor to maintain the trust and confidence of our relationships”, he maintained.