A Federal High Court headed by Justice Inyang Ekwo has fixed July 1 for the hearing of a suit filed by embattled former Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice, against the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, and four others, over the correct bio-data of one David Uwanim Upko.
Others mentioned in the suit are the Comptroller General (C-G), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS); Stanbic-IBTC Bank; United Bank of Africa (UBA) and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc as 2nd to 5th respondents respectively.
The case titled FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2022, was filed on Monday, June 27 by Gboyega Awomalo, SAN, counsel to Ekwremadu as a major effort to prove their innocence in an organ harvesting controversy in far away United Kingdom, UK. The case is for the Judge to order the defendants to produce the Certified True Copies, CTC of Upko’s documents for tender in court.
The UK police had on Thursday last week charged the Ekweremadu at a Uxbridge Magistrate Court for conspiracy to facilitate the travel of Ukpo, described as a minor, to the UK to harvest his organs. The couple denied the charge. They have since remained in the custody of the Uk police.
The applicants said Ukpo’s National Identification Number (NIN):19438077110, which is in the possession of the agency, should be produced to facilitate the criminal investigation and tender same to establish their innocence concerning Ukpo’s age in the criminal charges against them before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court.
They also sought an order directing the NIS C-G to supply the applicants with the documents and application form of David Nwamini Ukpo in the possession of the 2nd respondent presented for the issuance of International passport No. BO0569974 to assist the criminal investigation and issue same before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court, UK until July 7 in the alleged criminal charge brought against the applicants.
The lawyer noted that documents being sought to be handed over to the applicants will support the applicants in their defence and establish their innocence of the charges in the interest of justice.
Also, Bright Ekweremadu, the elder brother of the lawmaker, in the affidavit deposed to, said Ukpo informed the couple that he was 21 years old, having been born in the year 2000 and was ready to help Sonia.
