Reduce Ekweremadu’s Jail Term – Ohanaeze Ndigbo Begs British High Commissioner

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has appealed to the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery for the sentence against former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu to be reduced.

The organization said it has accepted the verdict of the court against Ekweremadu, his wife, and the doctor involved in the organ harvesting charge but wants Montgomery to help in any way possible for the jail term to be reduced.

Ohanaeze made the appeal when it played host to the British High Commissioner at the National Secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu.

One of the leaders of the group, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, said they would be happy if Ekweremadu’s jail term is reduced.

He said: “There is a very important issue that we have to bring to your attention. You’re aware of the case of Nigeria’s former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who was convicted and is in jail in your country. He’s from this state and we all know the circumstance he got entangled in that unfortunate incident because he wanted to save his daughter.

“He is already serving a jail term. It’s unfortunate but it has happened. I testified for him during the trial and in fact, the judge mentioned my name two times while delivering his judgment.

“But we’re using the opportunity of your visit to ask for leniency for him so that he doesn’t spend the number of years in jail. We have accepted the judgment, but are saying if there’s anything that could be done to reduce the jail term. He’s from this area and if we don’t bring this thing up as Ohanaeze or from us here, concerning this important son of Igboland, it wouldn’t be nice of us. We are quite overwhelmed”.

Also speaking at the reception, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, appealed for the setting up of a British Visa office in the southeast region.

According to him, over 60 percent of Nigerians traveling to the United Kingdom are from the region, and it is unfair that they have to first travel to Abuja or Lagos to procure their visas.