By Ishaya Ibrahim
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has begged for leniency in the sentencing of the former Deputy Senate President of Nigeria, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
Ekweremadu is standing trial over attempted organ harvesting.
Obasanjo, in an emotional letter, begged the Chief Clerk of the Central Criminal Court in London to temper justice with mercy.
Obasanjo, in the letter dated April 3, 2023, and addressed to the Chief Clerk of the Court titled ‘Re: Ike Ekweremadu’, said the Senator has contributed his quota to the socio-political development of Nigeria, and that the crime in question was committed to save the life of his daughter.
Obasanjo said: “Mr. Chief Clerk, I am very much aware of the current travails and conviction of Ike Ekweremadu and his wife in the United Kingdom resulting from their being charged with conspiring to arrange the travel of a 21-year old from Nigeria to the UK in order to harvest organs for their daughter. I do realise the implications of their action and I dare say, it is unpleasant and condemnable and can’t be tolerated in any sane or civilized society.
“However, it is my fervent desire that for the very warm relations between the United Kingdom and Federal Republic of Nigeria; for his position as one of the distinguished Senators in the Nigerian Parliament, and also for the sake of their daughter in question whose current health condition is in danger and requires an urgent medical attention, you will use your good offices to intervene and appeal to the court and the government of the United Kingdom to be magnanimous enough to temper justice with mercy and let punishment that may have to come take their good character and parental instinct and care into consideration.
“I do hope Mr. and Mrs. Ekweremadu have learnt from this distressing experience of theirs to guide their future actions or inactions so they will continue to be outstanding members of their community and will continue to contribute fully to the good of the society in particular and the nation in general,” Obasanjo stated.