Ukpo is currently in the United Kingdom (UK) in connection with the alleged organ harvesting charges against Ekweremadu and wife.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Senator Ike Ekweremadu and wife, Beatrice, have asked a Federal High Court, Abuja to dismiss an application filed by David Ukpo, who alleged to have been forcefully taken to the UK to remove his kidney.
Ukpo, through his lawyer, Bamidele Igbinedion, had filed a motion on notice, urging Justice Inyang Ekwo to set aside the orders it made in July directing some agencies of government and banks to release his bio-data to Ekweremadu and his wife.
Ukpo, who is currently in the United Kingdom (UK) in connection with the alleged organ harvesting charges against Ekweremadu and wife, had said that granting the couple’s request violated his fundamental rights to privacy guaranteed by Section 37 of 1999 Constitution (as amended).
But in a counter affidavit deposed to by Bright Ekweremadu, the immediate younger brother to the ex-Deputy Senate President, the applicants said Ukpo was not entitled to the reliefs sought as the law does not permit such.
The counter affidavit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2022, was dated and filed on Sept. 8 by their counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN.
In a 20-pont argument, Ekweremadu averred that though the court gave its ruling on July 1, Ukpo’s right to fair hearing was not breached.
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He said that the documents which were released by the agencies and banks upon the orders of the court have been transmitted to the UK and same have been “tendered at the Uxbridge Magistrate Court, and at the Central Criminal Court in the UK and have subsequently formed part of the record of the courts.
“That I know as a fact that the documents which are already in evidence before those Honourable Courts in the United Kingdom cannot be retrieved by this Honourable Court.
“That the courts in the United Kingdom are already seised of the documents” and that he was in the last criminal proceeding where the documents were used.
He said the documents were required to prove the actual age of Ukpo, who claimed to be 15 years of age but believed to be well over 21 years of age
According to him, if the applicant (Ukpo) had not lied about his age he has nothing to fear and the document would hear him out.
Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until Sept. 20 for hearing at the instance of Ukpo’s lawyer.
The judge then ordered all parties to file and exchange their processes before the next adjourned date.
