By Enioluwa Adeniyi

Beatrice Ekweremadu, wife of former Nigerian Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, has returned to Nigeria following her release from a United Kingdom prison, The Punch learnt.

Mrs Ekweremadu arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday, January 21, 2026, after completing the custodial portion of her sentence for her role in a high-profile organ-harvesting conspiracy.

Naija News reports that she was received by family members and close associates at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, marking her first visit to Nigerian soil since her legal ordeal began in mid-2022.

Her return has sparked celebrations in her hometown of Mpu in the Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, even as her husband continues to serve a longer sentence in the UK.

Mrs Ekweremadu’s return comes after she was convicted in May 2023 by the Old Bailey in London for conspiring to facilitate the travel of a 21-year-old Lagos street trader to the UK for the purpose of harvesting his kidney.

The organ was intended for the couple’s daughter, Sonia, who has a chronic kidney condition.

She was handed a four-year and six-month prison term, prosecuted under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Under UK law, non-violent offenders are generally eligible for release on licence after serving half of their custodial sentence. Reports indicated that Mrs Ekweremadu’s release was aided by her good conduct record and a broader UK government initiative aimed at alleviating severe prison overcrowding.

While Mrs Ekweremadu is back home, Senator Ike Ekweremadu remains behind bars, serving a much longer sentence.

In May 2023, the former lawmaker was sentenced to nine years and eight months after the court described him as the primary architect of the conspiracy.

Efforts by the Federal Government of Nigeria to secure his release or transfer have so far proved unsuccessful. In late 2025, a high-powered Nigerian diplomatic team travelled to London to pursue a Prisoner Transfer Agreement (PTA), which would have allowed the senator to serve the remainder of his sentence in a Nigerian facility.

However, the UK Home Office reportedly rejected the proposal in November 2025, citing concerns about ensuring the sentence’s enforcement if transferred to the Nigerian jurisdiction.

The third convict in the case, Dr Obinna Obeta, described by prosecutors as the medical “middleman,” is still in UK custody, serving a 10-year prison term.

Meanwhile, the Ekweremadus’ daughter, Sonia, who was cleared of all criminal charges during the 2023 trial, remains in the UK, where she is reportedly receiving ongoing medical treatment for her condition.