Ekweremadu: Father of David Nwamini, boy in UK kidney transplant case, dies

By Jeff Agbodo

ABAKALIKI — Mr. Felix Nwamini Ukpo, father of David Ukpo Nwamini — the young man at the centre of the high-profile UK illegal kidney transplant case involving former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu — has died.

The death, which occurred on Sunday, was confirmed by one of his sons and David’s sibling, Boniface Nwamini Ukpo. Boniface said their father’s death was linked to the emotional shock and heartbreak of not seeing or hearing from David since 2022, when the transplant saga began.

In 2022, David was allegedly taken to the United Kingdom to donate a kidney to Ekweremadu’s daughter, Sonia. However, he later reported to the police, leading to the arrest of Mr. Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, and Nigerian doctor, Obinna Obeta.

The trio were charged and, in March 2023, convicted by a London court of conspiring to arrange the travel of a man for the purpose of harvesting his organs. The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it was the country’s first illegal organ-harvesting prosecution.

Ekweremadu was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison, his wife to four years and six months, and Dr. Obeta — described as a middleman — to 10 years.

Since the conviction, little has been heard from David or his family. Boniface revealed that the family has had no contact with David since the incident.

“Yes, my father died yesterday (Sunday) afternoon at about 12 p.m. It’s so sad that since the incident happened in 2022, we have not spoken with my brother, David,” Boniface said. “My father had been sick over the saga, and yesterday he finally died.”

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