Sonia, the daughter of embattled Nigerian Senator, Ike Ekweremadu, appeared in court on Monday, November 7, 2022, accused of trafficking a homeless man into the UK to harvest his organs for herself.
25-year-old Sonia is accused alongside her father Ike, mother Beatrice, and 50-year-old doctor Obinna Obeta.
They are all charged with conspiracy to arrange the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.
Sonia is currently on bail and appeared alongside her mother wearing a knitted, patterned sweater vest. The defendants were due to enter their pleas but this could not take place today because of further legal argument.
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It is alleged they conspired together, with others unknown and with another family member Isaac Ekweremadu, to arrange the travel of a 21-year-old with a view to exploiting him between 1 August 2021 and 5 May this year.
They facilitated his travel from Lagos to London to remove one of his kidneys, it is claimed.
Sonia has a kidney-related disease and has been on dialysis for some time, the court has been told.
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The trial has been brought forward from May to 31 January next year at the Old Bailey.
Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow, KC, said: ‘We are told that this court is in a position to accommodate the trial…three months earlier.
‘If an earlier date can be offered, and one can be, then it should be taken.’
The trial will last four weeks and a High Court judge will preside over the hearing.
The Ekweremadus and Obeta will next appear at the Old Bailey on 16 December this year.