by Agency report

Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, will spend both the Christmas and New Year Day behind bars following the rejection of his application for bail by the Central Criminal Court otherwise known as Old Bailey on Tuesday.
His application for “dismissal of charges” of conspiracy to facilitate organ harvesting of David Nwamini’s kidney was also thrown out alongside those of his wife, Beatrice and their daughter, Sonia.
Also, the Ekweremadus and their co-defendant, Dr Obinna Obeta will now stand trial beginning from January 31, 2023, when Chief Ekweremadu would have spent a little over seven months in prison since his arrest at Heathrow Airport on June 23, 2022. 

On Monday, Ekweremadu and Obeta attended the hearing via video links from their prisons, while Mrs. Ekweremadu was physically present, even as Sonia, their sick wasn’t in court, having been excused due to her medical condition and ongoing dialysis.
In the bail application, the defence team argued that “he is a highly regarded well known public figure,” and also referenced the fact that he “attended COP 26 in this country and represented Nigeria” on climate change discussions, but the prosecution hammered on his being a flight risk. He told the court that Ekweremadu might take flight and not return to attend the trial if granted bail.
However, his Counsel said he couldn’t do that nor leave his sick daughter and wife behind.
The defence went further in his argument, saying the Nigerian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Nigerian Bar Association gave character references for Ekweremadu and even asked the court to consider electronic tagging in order to monitor his movement. 

Furthermore, his defence also told the court that they had sureties and securities of nearly half a million pounds from 11 people, but the Recorder of London – judge – wasn’t swayed by the argument.
On his part the prosecutor cited a letter written to them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on July 18, 2022, to back their grounds for opposing bail. After listening to both sides of the bench, the Judge said: “I’m entirely satisfied there remains a flight risk,” especially “as the trial is just over a month away,” adding that in view of that, “this bail application is refused.”
The judge further noted rthat Ekweremadu had three different passports on him when he was arrested, suggesting that he could take flight to either the United Arab Emirates or St Kitts and Nevis if granted bail, implying that the Senator doesn’t necessarily have to run away to Nigeria.