Ekweremadu sues NIMC and NIS asking them to produce details of young man at the centre of organ harvesting saga

FORMER deputy senate president Senator Ike Ekweremadu has filed a lawsuit against the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and several other agencies asking that they furnish him with details of the young man at the centre of the organ harvesting saga.

Last week, Senator Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice were arrested by London's Metropolitan Police on suspicion of child trafficking and planned organ harvesting. They were charged before Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.

Both of them were denied bail and have been remanded in custody until July 7 when the case will next be heard. Media reports have suggested that they were trying to get a minor to donate a kidney to their daughter for an operation that was due to take place at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

Early this week, however, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) released a statement saying that David Ukpo Nwamini, the young man at the centre of the controversy, was issued a passport legally, following due process. Mr Nwamini had allegedly claimed to be a minor after he arrived in the UK but photographs of his Nigerian passport released by the NIS, showed his date of birth to be October 12, 2000, making him 21 years old.

Now, Senator Ekweremadu, and his wife have sued the NIMC and others over controversy surrounding Mr Nwamini's real age. Others mentioned in the suit are the NIS comptroller-general, Stanbic-IBTC Bank, United Bank of Africa and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System.

In an originating summon dated and filed June 27 by their counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo before Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court, Abuja, the Ekweremadus asked the court for an order directing the NIMC to supply them with the certified true copy of the biodata information of David Ukpo Nwamini.  They asked that his National Identification Number, which is in the possession of the agency, should be produced for the purpose of facilitating the criminal investigation and tendering same to establish their innocence with respect to his age.

They also sought an order directing the NIS to supply the applicants with the documents and Mr Nwamini's application form presented for the issuance of an international passport. Also, the affidavit, Bright Ekweremadu, the elder brother of the lawmaker, said Mr Nwamini informed the couple that he was 21 years old, having been born in the year 2000 and was ready to help Sonia, their daughter.

Justice Ekwo fixed July 1 for hearing of the matter. Already, the UK's University of Lincoln has banned Senator Ekweremadu from undertaking any further duties as a visiting professor of the institution in  response to his arrest for suspected organ harvesting.