Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court on Friday ordered the Nigerian Immigration Service, National Identity Management Commission, United Bank of Africa (UBA), and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc to release a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the biodata information of David Nwamini Ukpo.
The order was sequel to an application by Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife to enable them defend themselves in an alleged modern slavery and organ harvesting charge leveled against them at United Kingdom Magistrate Court.
The Metropolitan Police had last week arrested Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice for allegedly trafficking a minor to the UK for exploitation and organ harvesting, an offence punishable by prison terms in the UK.
But, Ekweremadu and his wife had denied any wrong doing, claiming that contrary to the position of the UK police, the said donor, is not a minor and was neither tricked or induced to donate his organ for the ailing daughter of the Ekweremadu’s who is currently in a London hospital.
Ekweremadu and his wife accordingly approached a Federal High Court for an order compelling the immigration, NIMC and the bank to release a Certified True Copy of the bio-data information of Ukpo to the defendants to aid their defense in the London Court.
In an originating summon marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2022, dated and filed June 27 by their counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, the couple said the information were for the purposes of facilitating the criminal investigation and tendering same to establish their innocence with respect to Ukpo’s age in the charges against them.
Awomolo, had told the court that the respondents will not respond to their request on the bio-data of Ukpo unless directed by the court.
In a short ruling, Justice Ekwo held that evidence showed that the respondents have been served with the applicants motion and since the they did not dispute the facts of the motion, the application is granted in terms.
