Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has disclosed that efforts are ongoing to secure the transfer of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, from a United Kingdom prison to Nigeria to serve the remainder of his jail term.
Mbah made this known during an interview with BBC Igbo on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, explaining that his administration was appealing to the Nigerian government to engage British authorities over the proposed transfer.
Ekweremadu is currently serving a nine-year and eight-month prison sentence in the United Kingdom following his conviction for conspiracy to facilitate organ trafficking.
The governor said he remained in contact with the former senator and was hopeful that diplomatic discussions between Nigeria and the UK would eventually lead to an agreement allowing him to complete his sentence in Nigeria.
According to Mbah, the state government is among those appealing to Nigerian authorities to explore available options with the British government.
He said, “What happened is a test. We are still in touch with him. We are among those who are asking the Nigerian authorities to find out how they and England can ensure that Ekweremadu stays in Nigeria to serve the full sentence if they want him to stay in prison. We hope that he will be released soon.”
The governor also expressed sympathy for Ekweremadu, noting that the circumstances surrounding the former lawmaker’s conviction involved a family health crisis.
Mbah argued that parents who have experienced serious health challenges involving their children could understand the desperation to save a child’s life.
He said it was difficult to fully appreciate the decisions a father might make when confronted with a life-threatening medical situation involving his child.
Ekweremadu was convicted in March 2023 alongside his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu, and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, over arrangements to bring a young Nigerian man to the United Kingdom to provide a kidney for his daughter, Sonia.
The former deputy Senate president was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison in May 2023.
His wife, Beatrice, received a four-year and six-month prison sentence, while Obeta was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
Beatrice was subsequently released from prison and returned to Nigeria in January 2025.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government had earlier taken diplomatic steps to secure Ekweremadu’s transfer.
In November 2025, President Bola Tinubu reportedly dispatched a delegation comprising the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to the United Kingdom to discuss the possibility of transferring the former senator to Nigeria.
However, the British government rejected Nigeria’s request, reportedly citing concerns over whether Ekweremadu would serve the remainder of his sentence if transferred to Nigeria.
Despite the earlier rejection, Governor Mbah’s latest comments indicate that efforts to explore a possible transfer remain ongoing.
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