2 Nigerians charged in UK over alleged organ-harvesting plan

LONDON — British police on Thursday charged two Nigerians, including a politician, with conspiring to bring a child to the U.K. in order to harvest organs.

Ike Ekweremadu, a 60-year-old district senator and lawyer, and Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, are accused of conspiracy to arrange or facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, “namely organ harvesting.”

The two suspects appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court in west London on Thursday. They confirmed they reside in Nigeria, and were remanded in custody until they are expected in court again on July 7, the BBC reported.

The Metropolitan Police said a child had been taken to safety.

The force said detectives launched an investigation after they were alerted to potential modern slavery offenses in May.

Ike Ekweremadu was recently made a visiting professor at the University of Lincoln in northern England.

A university spokesman said visiting professors “are often, as is in this case, non-resident at the university, unpaid and advisory.”

“We are deeply concerned about the nature of these allegations but as this is an active police investigation, we cannot comment further at this stage,” the spokesman said.