Ekweremadu’s daughter: Why my father sought kidney donor outside family

Sonia Ekweremadu, the 25-year-old daughter of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has disclosed the reasons behind the trafficking of a 21-year-old man to the United Kingdom to harvest his kidney for her.

Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, and medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, were jailed on Friday, May 5, for conspiring to traffic the man to the UK from Lagos for his organ.

The ex-Deputy Senate President was jailed for nine years and eight months, his wife was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment, while Obeta received a 10-year prison term.

However, Sonia, in an interview with BBC, disclosed that her parents sought a kidney donor for her from outside because of the family’s health history.

Sonia added that her father’s family has a history of kidney conditions.

READ ALSO: Organ harvesting: Ekweremadu’s daughter speaks on parents’ sentencing

“I had the APO1 gene. To us, that kind of excluded the family, especially on my dad’s side because they have quite a history of kidney conditions,” she revealed.

Asked if she was aware that the donor at the centre of the case was portrayed as her cousin, she said: “Yea, I mean, I can’t answer that.”

The 25-year-old added that she did not “feel anything toward him”, adding that she “wish him all the best”.

Sonia added that though some persons came forward as donors after the case went public, she is still on dialysis, expressing hope that “I would be able to get the transplant soon”.

She further stated that she felt guilty about the whole saga, saying: “I don’t think it will ever be the same again. And obviously, I feel guilty because I feel like all these have happened because of me.”

The 25-year-old further expressed sadness on the court judgement, saying: “It’s sad. It’s been really hard to wrap my head around it.

“I understand the conviction. Personally, I disagree with it; however, that’s from a very biased perspective as their daughter, and I would obviously back my parents.

“However, the law has taken its course, and we just have to now move forward as a family.”

The Star