An interpreter tried to persuade doctors at a hospital to approve an illegal kidney transplant for the daughter of a wealthy Nigerian politician, who it is claimed plotted to transport a street trader to the UK to harvest the organ, a court has heard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Evelyn ‘Ebere’ Agbasonu allegedly asked for payment of \u00a31,500 to help secure the \u00a380,000 private kidney transplant for the alleged recipient Sonia Ekweremadu, 25, at the Royal Free Hospital in north London in February 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jurors at the Old Bailey heard of Ms Agbasonu’s role during the trial of Ike Ekweremadu, 60, who is alleged to have conspired with family members and others to exploit the 21-year-old street trader from Lagos in harvesting his kidney.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The then-deputy president of the Nigerian is on trial alongside his wife Beatrice Ekweremadu, 56, their daughter Sonia and medical ‘middleman’ Dr Obinna Obeta.They all deny conspiracy to arrange the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sonia had a ‘significant and deteriorating’ kidney condition which could be managed through dialysis but cured with a transplant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n