Leaders of top south-eastern groups have expressed divided opinions over the move of the Federal Government to transfer a former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, from a United Kingdom correctional facility to a Nigerian custodial centre.

While some queried the plan which they said was meant to boost President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election chances, others said motives did not matter.

The embattled senator was convicted in the UK for organ trafficking.

Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, were arrested by the London Metropolitan Police in June 2022 after a man was presented as a cousin to their daughter, Sonia, in an attempt to facilitate a kidney transplant for her.

The incident led to their conviction under the UK Modern Slavery Act in 2023.

While Ekweremadu was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison, his wife received four years and six months jail term.

Beatrice was released earlier this year and has since returned to Nigeria.

However, President Bola Tinubu sent a high-level delegation to London to discuss the case of the former Deputy Senate President.

As learnt, the Federal Government was seeking arrangements that would allow Ekweremadu to serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria.

The delegation, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, met with officials of the UK Ministry of Justice to discuss Ekweremadu’s incarceration and the possibility of allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria.

Following the meeting, the delegation visited the Nigerian High Commission in London, where the Acting High Commissioner, Ambassador Mohammed Maidugu, received them.

Speaking on the matter with Sunday PUNCH, the President of the Igbo National Council, Chilos Godsent, questioned the motive and timing of the government’s request, warning against what he described as “political manipulation” or “vendetta” disguised as compassion.

He accused former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration of failing to protect Ekweremadu during his legal ordeal in the UK.

Godsent argued that the negligence allowed British authorities to try a sitting senator of the Federal Republic.

He said, “There is one thing that is really not clear: are they bringing him back to Nigeria to set him free or bringing him back to put him on trial, or to let him continue his jail term? These things are not really clear.

“That is why people are sceptical that he can be brought back and then, as part of political vendetta, he might be retried, which is not proper. It is better to allow him to serve his term in the UK, where he was found guilty. Why this time, why this election period? It is because they want to use him to play politics.

“Earlier, if the government had put in efforts for him as a citizen of this country to compel the British government, there wouldn’t have been any need for the UK government to try him as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria when this issue took place. That was negligence on the part of the Nigerian government.”

While commending Tinubu for what they described as a “laudable” plan if the intention was to reintegrate Ekweremadu with his family and community, he cautioned that any attempt to use his return for political ends would be condemned.

He raised doubts about the independence of the Nigerian judiciary, expressing fears that Ekweremadu could become a victim of political retribution if transferred at this time.

Similarly, the President of the Ala-Igbo Development Foundation, Prof. Awuzie Unachukwu, questioned the government’s motive.

He said, “If it is appreciated that Senator Ekweremadu should come back having paid his dues for his offence, why does this same government shy away from releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who was only asking for self-determination for the Igbos?

“Nnamdi Kanu deserves immediate release if the action of the government in asking for the return of Senator Ike Ekweremadu is not political or a means of mobilising some influential Igbos like Senator Ekweremadu for the President’s 2027 second-term ambition.”

He commended President Tinubu for initiating steps toward the repatriation of the embattled senator. Unachukwu said: “However, he shouldn’t bring him back to Nigeria to serve a jail term in this dungeon of a prison. He suffered for his crime enough. If he is coming back to Nigeria, it shouldn’t be for a jail term,” Unachukwu added.

But a chieftain of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the move was not politically motivated.

Isiguzoro stated, “Ohanaeze is supporting the President and we are at the forefront to ensure that the President repatriates and rehabilitates him. He is a political leader. The President doesn’t hate the Igbo people. Ekweremadu was instrumental to the release of Nnamdi Kanu in 2017.”

“The senator has paid his dues in the region and to Igbo nation. That move is being applauded by us. Ohanaeze will not tolerate anybody who stands to block this move. If the President thinks bringing Ekweremadu will help him stabilise his re-election in 2027, the South-East has no choice than to support. We must be devoid of politics in issues that regard to ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.”

Expressing a similar opinion, the Abia State Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Abraham Amah, said there was nothing wrong with any administration taking steps it considered appropriate in the interest of justice, humanitarian consideration, or national responsibility.

He stated that Buhari’s inaction did not invalidate Tinubu’s decision to do so now.a

Amah added that governance was a continuum, and each administration exercised its judgment based on the realities before it.

“The insinuation that the move is driven by politics does not, by itself, make the action improper or undesirable. In matters like this, motives will always be debated, but what ultimately matters is whether the action aligns with national interest, compassion, and due process.

“What is important here is that a Nigerian citizen who has served the country at the highest legislative levels is in a difficult situation, and if the current government believes it can intervene within the confines of the law and diplomatic norms, there is no justification to condemn such an effort,” he said.

Also, the President-General of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, Goodluck Ibem, expressed support for the government to facilitate the return of the embattled senator, saying his return was crucial for the rule of law in the country.

He said, “This move is not just about a singular individual; it is about fostering a sense of justice and integrity that resonates deeply within our community. The people of the South East are committed to a future where justice prevails, and we stand firmly behind the Federal Government in its efforts to uphold these values.

“We urge all stakeholders and members of the public to focus on the broader implications of this process. Our collective goal should be the restoration of justice and creating a political environment founded on transparency and accountability.”

FG to revive Nigeria–UK prisoner transfer programme

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has begun fresh efforts to revive the long-stalled Nigeria–United Kingdom prisoner transfer programme, as part of diplomatic consultations to repatriate Ekweremadu.

Ekweremadu’s case reopened talks about the 2014 Nigeria–UK Prisoner Transfer Agreement, which has remained unimplemented more than a decade after it was signed.

The agreement, signed under former President Goodluck Jonathan and then UK Prime Minister David Cameron, was intended to allow convicted nationals to serve their sentences in their home countries.

To support its implementation, the UK funded the construction of a £700,000, 112-bed wing at the Kirikiri Custodial Centre in Lagos, compliant with United Nations standards.

Despite these arrangements, no prisoner has been transferred under the scheme.

The spokesperson for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim AbdulKadir, on Monday told Arise News that discussions with UK authorities to extradite Ekweremadu were still ongoing.

He revealed that a formal request had been submitted for Ekweremadu’s transfer under the existing prisoner exchange framework.

“Consultations are still ongoing with UK authorities on the matter. An appeal for a prisoner exchange for him to serve the remainder of his term in Nigeria was tabled before the United Kingdom authorities,” AbdulKadir said.

At the 2025 Nigeria–United Kingdom Migration, Justice, and Home Affairs Dialogue held in Abuja on October 8, both nations reaffirmed commitment to reviving the agreement.

The joint communique released after the meeting stated that Nigeria had called for a review of the document to ensure alignment with the Nigerian Correctional Services Act of 2019 and to clarify the process, timelines, and detention conditions for transferred prisoners.

The renewed dialogue follows a visit last year by officials of the UK Ministry of Justice to several Nigerian prisons.

The push to operationalise the prisoner transfer agreement comes as Nigeria continues to face severe overcrowding in its correctional facilities.

Over 70,000 inmates are currently housed across the country, many awaiting trial, while frequent jailbreaks have underscored the strain on the prison system.

To tackle congestion, the Federal Government has inaugurated new correctional centres in Abuja, Kano, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and other parts of the country, including 3,000-capacity facilities across the six geopolitical zones.

Efforts to speak to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, proved abortive as he declined comment. (PUNCH)