The United Kingdom has turned down the Nigerian government’s request to have former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu serve the remainder of his prison sentence in Nigeria.

Ekweremadu, who is currently incarcerated in the UK, was convicted in 2023 for his role in an organ trafficking scheme and sentenced to nine years and eight months for conspiring to exploit a young man’s kidney.

In November 2025, the Federal Government initiated discussions with British authorities over the possible transfer of Ekweremadu to serve his sentence in Nigeria. A high-level Nigerian delegation, including Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar and Attorney General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, engaged the UK government on the matter.

However, according to the UK Guardian, citing an unnamed Ministry of Justice official, the request was rejected. The official explained that the UK authorities were concerned Nigeria could not guarantee the continuation of Ekweremadu’s prison term if he were deported.

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“Any prisoner transfer is at our discretion following a careful assessment of whether it would be in the interests of justice,” the source stated. “The UK will not tolerate modern slavery, and any offender will face the full force of UK law.”

The decision reinforces the UK’s strict stance against human trafficking and modern slavery, signaling that Ekweremadu will serve his sentence entirely under the UK penal system.