The United Kingdom (UK) government has rejected the federal government’s request to transfer Ike Ekweremadu, the former deputy senate president, to serve the remainder of his prison term in Nigeria.

Ekweremadu is currently serving a prison sentence in the UK for organ trafficking.

He was convicted in March 2023 and sentenced to nine years and eight months for conspiring to exploit a young man’s kidney.

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Earlier in November, President Bola Tinubu sent a high-level delegation to London to discuss Ekweremadu’s case and explore the possibility of him serving the remainder of his prison term in Nigeria.

The delegation comprises Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, and Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice.

However, the UK Guardian, quoting an unnamed official of ministry of justice (MoJ), reported that the Nigerian government’s request was rejected.

“A source at the MoJ has confirmed the request was rejected. It is understood the UK government was concerned that Nigeria could offer no guarantees that Ekweremadu would continue his prison sentence after being deported,” the newspaper said.

“Any prisoner transfer is at our discretion following a careful assessment of whether it would be in the interests of justice,” the UK Guardian quoted the official as saying.”

“The UK will not tolerate modern slavery and any offender will face the full force of UK law.”