Felix Ukpo, father of the Nigerian man at the centre of the UK organ trafficking case involving former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, has died.
His son, Boniface, confirmed the death on Monday, August 11, in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
Mr Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, were convicted in March 2023 by the Old Bailey Court in London for trafficking 21-year-old David Nwamini to the UK with the intention of harvesting his kidney for the ailing daughter of the former senator. The case attracted global attention.
Boniface told reporters that his father had been in poor health and heartbroken since the case began in 2022, adding that the family had not spoken to David since the incident.
“My father died yesterday (Sunday) afternoon at 12 p.m. It’s so sad that since the incident happened in 2022, we have not spoken with my brother, David Nwamini. So, my father has been sick over the saga, and yesterday he finally died,” he said.
Following their conviction, Mr Ekweremadu was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison, his wife to four years and six months, and Dr Obeta to 10 years. Beatrice returned to Nigeria in January 2025, months before the completion of her sentence. It remains unclear if she was granted a pardon in the UK.
The whereabouts of David have remained unknown since the trial ended, and his family has stayed silent until now.