By Marcus Ikechukwu
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja has ordered the Nigerian Immigration Services and the National Identity Management Commission to supply to former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice, a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the biodata information of David Nwamini Ukpo to ascertain his real age.
Others respondents in the suit are Stanbic-IBTC Bank; United Bank of Africa (UBA) and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc.
The court made the order in a suit by Ekweremmadu and the wife, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2022, dated and filed on June 27 by their counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo SAN.
The court ordered that Ukpo’s National Identification Number (NIN):19438077110, which is in the possession of the respondents, should be produced for the purpose of facilitating the criminal investigation and tendering same to establish the innocence of the applicants with respect to Ukpo’s age in the criminal charges against them before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court.
The Judge entered judgment since the respondents did not file any counter affidavit in opposition to the suit.
In the judgement, the court directed the Nigerian immigration to supply the applicants with the documents and application form of David Nwamini Ukpo in the possession of the 2nd respondent presented for the issuance of International passport No. BO0569974 for the purpose of assisting the criminal investigation and tendering same before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court, UK until July 7 in the alleged criminal charge brought against the applicants.
The judge also ordered Stanbic-IBTC Bank to supply the applicants with the Certified True Copy of mandate card and account opening package of account No. 0032551834 maintained by its customer, Ukpo, with Bank Verification Number 22509616391 in the custody of the bank, for the purpose of tendering same to establish the innocence of the applicants with respect to his age in the criminal charges filed against the applicants.
In addition, Justice Ekwo directed UBA to supply the applicants with the Certified True Copy of mandate card and account opening package of account No. 2195739574 maintained by Ukpo with Bank Verification Number 22509616391 in the custody of the bank, for the purpose of tendering same to establish the innocence of the applicants.
Recall that Ekweremmadu and his wife are being remanded in the UK police custody, after they were arraigned before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court for alleged conspiracy to facilitate the travel of Ukpo, alleged to be minor, for organ harvesting.
The couple, however, denied the allegations and the court adjourned till July 7 for a hearing.
Before delivering judgment, Justice Ekwo struck out the name of Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (5th).
Awomolo said the application was brought pursuant to Order 3, Rule 1 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2019, Sections 6 and 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.
Awomolo told the court that “The applicants have a daughter named Sonia Ekweremadu, who is suffering from kidney failure and the applicants have been managing it for about five years.
“The said daughter of the applicants urgently needed kidney transplant to save her life.
“David Nwamini Ukpo, offered to donate one of his kidneys for the daughter of the applicants if his kidney is compatible with that of Miss Sonia Ekweremadu.
“David Nwamini Ukpo informed the applicants that he is Twenty One (21) years of age having being born In the year 2000.
