A COUNTRY WHERE THE RULE OF SUPERMEN & CANNIBALISTIC LEADERS REIGNS (3) BY S. KADIRI

[Salimonu Kadiri]

Remarking on page 6 (9:2) of the transcript of sentencing of Ekweremadu and others Justice Jeremy Johnson stated, "At trial, there was a great deal of character witness testimony, including from Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, the Archbishop for the Diocese of Enugu. I have been provided with a bundle of 51 pages of character statements for the purpose of sentencing. I have read all of them. They include statements from a former President of Nigeria, the current President of the Senate of Nigeria, the Bishop of Enugu, the Attorney General and Chief Law Officer of Nigeria and the speaker of the House of Representatives." All of them pleaded for leniency on behalf of Senator Ike Ekweremadu. Why were Archbishops, Bishops, President of the Nigerian Senate, Speaker of Nigerian House of Reps, Attorney General and Federal Minister of the Federation, and former President of Nigeria, appealing for leniency for Ike and his wife but were unconcerned about the fate of a semi-literate Nigerian street hawker who was deceitfully ferried to the UK for the purpose of stealing his kidney for transplantation into their own daughter? 

My enquiries led me to the online Nigerian Vanguard of Wednesday, 5 April 2023, titled: Ekweremadu - Obasanjo Asks UK For Leniency. Excerpts from the letter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, dated April 3, 2023, and addressed to the Chief Clerk, Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, London EC4M7EH, and in which he laundered the character of Ike Ekweremadu so as to reduce the consequence of his crime to a slap on the wrist read: I truly cherished his (Ike Ekweremadu) God-fearing, dispassionate, moderate and pan-Nigerian approach to national issues and developments, in our multi-ethnic, multi-religious geo-polity. He dedicates himself to the service of God and Humanity and he continues to play visible roles in national development. ...//... Ike Ekweremadu's conferment with the coveted national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR, is further testimony to his selfless service to our country, Nigeria.

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 implication 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.

Olusegun Obasanjo's characterisation of Ike Ekweremadu as a God-fearing, dispassionate and a moderate who dedicates himself to the service of God and humanity does not rhyme with a person who deceitfully promised a semi-literate 21-year-old man with job in the UK and ferried him there with the intention of severing his kidney for transplantation into his own 25-year-old graduate daughter, Sonia Ekweremadu. In a country of the rule of law, as the UK, the acronym of the national honour (CFR) conferred on Ike Ekweremadu, as referenced by Olusegun Obasanjo would be understood, from Ike's behaviour toward David Ukpo Nwamini, as Conman of the Federal Republic. Everyone is a thief, the cynical Nigerian quip goes, but only those arrested are confirmed thieves. Ike Ekweremadu, like all educated class in the public arena in Nigeria, live and feed on their impoverishment of the masses of Nigeria. Unfortunately, it is only Ike Ekweremadu that has been caught, not in Nigeria but, in faraway UK. It is an open knowledge that although Ike Ekweremadu was in the PDP in 2015, he and Bukola Saraki forged the Senate Rule to inaugurate the eighth Senate whereby he became Deputy Senate President, instead of an APC member. The Attorney General of the Federation and Federal Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, subverted the prosecution of Saraki and Ekweremadu for the Senate Rule forgery committed by the duo. Furthermore, Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President was involved in multi-billion-naira padding of the 2016 budget submitted to the Senate by the Executive. In Nigeria, the God-fearing are the crooks, fraudsters, forgers, thieves and robbers who always attribute the success of their criminal acts to the blessing of God/Allah. 

The greatest Law Breakers in Nigeria are the lawmakers, and public officials including the judiciary and the armed forces officials. Going by the contents of the letter, written and dated 16 June 2017, by a retired Chief Judge of Enugu State, Professor Innocent A. Umezulike, requesting the EFCC to probe Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in compliance with Section 7 (1) (b) of the 2004 EFCC Act, the characterisation of Ike Ekweremadu as a God-fearing person who has dedicated himself to the service of God and humanity, according to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, becomes hollow and untrue. In support of his demand for the probe of Senator Ekweremadu, professor Umezulike wrote, "Before being elected as a Senator, Mr. Ekweremadu spent four years as an aide to former Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Chimaroke Nnamani, first as the Chief of Staff and later, as Secretary to the State Government. In sum from 1999 till date, he has been in the realm of public office without any break to engage in any personal business. Thus, his emoluments in the past eighteen years are easily ascertainable from Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission." Professor Umezulike noted that within the space of 18 years in public office, Mr. Ekweremadu, who was before 1999 was a charge and bail lawyer in Enugu state, has amassed billions of naira and used part of the money to buy high end properties across four continents. He asserted that Mr. Ekweremadu has money in the vaults of Sterling Bank Plc and United Bank of Africa. In Enugu alone, the retired Chief Judge of Enugu State, pointed out that the then Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, owned No. 14, Iyienu Street, Independence Layout; 7 O'Connor Street, Asata; 14/16 Charles Street, GRA, Enugu; 9B Isuofia Street, Shagari Low-Cost Housing in Trans-Ekulu; 28 Owerri Road in Asata, House 2, Local City Garden, GRA; and a plot at Republic Layout. He also owns 69.4 hectares of land in Ogbeke-Nike, Enugu.

In Abuja his property portfolio includes Plot 1518 Maitama, 11 Evan Enwerem Street, Apo Legislative Quarters; Plot 2633 Kyami, Housing Estate; Plot 1106 GRD, Cadastral Zone 07-07, Lugbe 2; Jim Nwobodo Street, Apo Legislative Quarters and Plot 2782 Asokoro Extension.

In the British capital of London, Ekweremadu owns Flat 4 Varsity Court, Homer Street, WIH4NW, London; and 52 Aylestone Avenue,NW6 7AB, London.

In Dubai, Mr. Ekweremadu is the owner of Room 1903, Downtown Dubai at Boulevard 3901, Dubai; 2 Flats at Burij Side Boulevard, Dubai; Emirate Gardens Apartment No. EGG1/1/114, Dubai; Emirate Gardens Apartment No. EGG1/115, Dubai; Apartment No. DFB/12/B1204, Park Towers, Dubai; Flat 3604, MAG 214, Dubai; and Villa No. 148, Maeen 1, The Lakes Emirates Hills Dubai. In Florida, United States of America, he owns 4507 Stella Street, Bellavia Estate; 2747 club Cortile and 2763 Club Cortile Circle, all in Kissimmee, Florida.

Section 7 (1) (b) of the EFCC Act, 2004 which Professor Innocent A. Umezulike based his request for the probe of Senator Ike Ekweremadu empowers the EFCC to cause investigations to be conducted into the properties of any person if it appears to the Commission that the person's lifestyle and the extent of the properties are not justified by the person's source of income. If the wealth is disproportionally higher than the legitimate source of income, the EFCC can either prosecute the person or ask for the forfeiture of the illegally acquired wealth to the government. If the EFCC has been making use of the above referred EFCC Act of 2004, more than 98% of overnight wealthy public officials who convert public funds into their personal wealth would have been revealed and recovered. Moreover, stealing of public funds often referred to as corruption would have been prevented or reduced considerably. At the time Professor Umezulike wrote his letter to the EFCC, its chairman Ibrahim Magu was having a running battle with the cabals in the presidency who were writing adverse security reports to the Senate to counter President Buhari's recommendation of Magu to the Senate for confirmation as substantive Chairman. Ike Ekweremadu was Deputy President of the Senate that refused to confirm Magu as chairman of the EFCC. Despite the opposition of the cabals in the Presidency against Magu, he worked patriotically against corruption in line with Buhari's spoken policy. Therefore, he commenced investigations on Ekweremadu's wealth if, as disclosed by Professor Umezulike, it arose out of legitimate work or not. Magu was eventually removed from office through the evil machination of the corruption friendly Buhari's Attorney General and Federal Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the investigation into Ike Ekweremadu's wealth went into permanent hibernation. Suddenly, on Friday, November 4, 2022, an Abuja Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, granted to the Federal Government an interim forfeiture order over Senator Ekweremadu's properties located as follows: ten in Enugu, three in the US, two in UK, one in Lagos, nine in Dubai and fifteen in the federal capital territory Abuja. The final forfeiture was pronounced on December 5, 2022. Certainly, it was a tactical move by the Federal government to hoodwink the British Court trying Ike Ekweremadu but the court was able to unmask the plot.

On page 4 (7:2) of the Transcript of Sentencing remarks, Friday, May 5, 2023, Justice Jeremy Johnson highlighted the cruel effects of what the distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ike Ekweremadu, had plotted to do with David Ekpo Nwamini if Dr Peter Dupont had not blocked the operation from being carried out. Justice Johnson said, "The donor (David Upko Nwamini) would have faced invasive surgery with a small but still possible risk of death. He would have faced spending the rest of his life with only one kidney, and without any funding for the required aftercare. He would have faced an increased risk of an early onset raised blood pressure, an increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease later in life, and a lifetime risk of dialysis or a need for kidney transplant himself. The removal of kidney amounts to serious physical harm which has a substantial and long-term effect. Even if he had known that he was going to donate a kidney, I am sure that the risks had not been explained to him before he was brought to the UK. He was deceived and pressurised into donating a kidney." The crime committed by Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice, and Dr Obinna Obeta should have earned them life-in-jail but Justice Jeremy Johnson showed them mercy by sentencing them to nine years and eight months, four years and six months, and ten years in prison respectively.

Satanic capitalism as practised in Nigeria implies diversion of public funds, appropriated for industrial and economic development of the country, into private pockets by public officials. As it has been demonstrated by the degree of sympathy shown to Ekweremadu, there is no ethnic or religious divide amongst Satanic capitalist Nigerian public officials, especially when it comes to stealing public funds. I say public officials in Nigeria are satanic capitalists because they always steal more than their needs and the huge excesses from the plunder of the treasuries are used to acquire properties abroad mostly, e.g., in, USA, UAE, Britain etc. Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the year 2022 was $2,300 (two-thousand and three-hundred US dollars) per capital. For Satanic Capitalist Nigerians to be millionaires the Gross Domestic Poverty and Misery Index among the masses in the country must be extremely high. The self-proclaimed born-again Christian, Olusegun Obasanjo, described Ike Ekweremadu as God-fearing, dispassionate and moderate person who has dedicated himself to the service of God and humanity while pleading for leniency for him. The God-fearing Olusegun Obasanjo and companies have chosen to ignore what the Bible said in Luke 19 : 18 where Zacchaeus repented and returned to the people all that he had stolen from them. In their self-created pseudo-religiosity, they have changed the admonition of John the Baptist as stated in the Bible, Luke 3 : 11 to, from he that hath two kidneys, shall I sever one for my daughter. Nigeria's political profiteers and merchants of misery, embodying public officials of all categories, consider the masses of Nigeria as one-use only paper-napkin. That is why Ike Ekweremadu and his likes in Nigeria saw nothing wrong in luring the impoverished David Ukpo Nwamini to the UK with the promise of employing him as a worker, whereas the entire plan was to sever Nwamini's kidney and transplant it into his (Ekweremadu's) daughter. 

Ebonyi State from where David Ukpo Nwamini originates in Nigeria is an Igbo speaking State just like Enugu, the home state of Ike Ekweremadu. Although they are from two different Igbo States, Nwamini speaks Igbo just like Ekweremadu. But when the British legal system inhibited Senator Ekweremadu from stealing the kidney of Mr. Nwamini and remand in lawful custody pending trial was pronounced on the attempted kidney thieves', professor Biko Agozino reacted by condemning what he termed injustice to the Ekweremadu's. Expressing his resentment, he titled his post on this forum, Tuesday, June 28, 2023, Ekweremadu's: British Justice System Is Still Racist-Sexist-Imperialist. Professor Biko Agozino wrote among other things the following, "The detention of Ike Ekweremadu (along with his wife Beatrice) is a racist-sexist-imperialist act. They are detained on allegations of a conspiracy to traffic a 'minor' for modern- day slavery plot to harvest the organs of a 'homeless minor for transplant to their own ailing daughter. ...//... If the Ekweremadus were of different skin colour, or even from different ethnic groups in Nigeria itself, it is unlikely that they would be denied bail, given that they had family in the UK, surrender their passports, and are recognizable in their own rights." In fact, Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu was granted bail on Monday, 25 July 2022 and reasons why her husband was not granted bail was published on the online Nigerian Vanguard of Wednesday, December 21, 2022. The efforts of the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Nigeria's Attorney General of the Federation to secure the bail of Ike Ekweremadu was published along with reasons why the British prosecutor opposed his bail. In 2005, Governors, Diepriye Solomon Peters Alamieyeseigha and Joshua Chibi Dariye of Bayelsa and Plateau State respectively were granted bail in respect of money laundering accusation but they jumped bail and returned to Nigeria. I think it is ridiculous and cynical to suggest as Professor Biko Agozino seemed to imply that if an Igbo Senator from Nigeria ferried an impoverished Igbo boy to London for the purpose of stealing his kidney for a transplant into the ailing daughter of an Igbo Senator, then the British judicial intervention in stopping the theft of the kidney of the Igbo boy is tantamount to racism.

Nigeria is a country of rule of strong men and cannibalistic leaders and not of rule of law. Whenever the interests of Nigeria's strongmen and cannibalistic leaders of different ethnic and religious beliefs are threatened, they always gang-up to protect their common interest. Since, June 2022, when Senator Ike Ekweremadu was arrested in London, his salary and allowances as a Senator in Nigeria have regularly been paid. The outgoing Nigeria's President of the 2019 to 2023 Senate and his Deputy would be paid severance allowance of N7. 45 million and N6.93 million respectively. The rest 107 Senators, including Senator Ike Ekweremadu, would be paid N6.08 million. In the country of rule of strongmen, might makes right and strongmen do not need to work to get rich.

S. Kadiri