A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday has ordered the release of the official details of David Nwamini to a former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, who gave the order in a judgement delivered on Friday, directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and two commercial banks to release Nwamini’s details in their possession to the couple.
By the court order, all official information in relation to Nwamini, including the account opening package, are to be released to Senator Ekweremadu and his wife to ascertain his real age.
This followed an originating summon filed by Senator Ekweremadu and his wife through their counsel and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adegboyega Awomolo.
Although the Met police said Nwamini was 15, the NIS said it issued an international passport indicating his age as 21 after due process.
Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice, were arrested in London by the Metropolitan Police on Thursday and charged with the alleged crime of trying to bring a child to the UK to allegedly harvest organs, DAILY GIST reports.
It was gathered that the investigation was launched after detectives were alerted to potential offences under modern slavery legislation in May 2022.
Documents emerged which showed that the alleged victim who was said to be a 15-year-old-child may actually be 21 years.
In a bid to clear his clients of the allegations, Awomolo approached the court in Abuja, seeking an order directing the NIMC to produce the Certified True Copy of the biodata of David Ukpo Nwamini.
Awomolo had prayed the court that Nwamini’s National Identification Number (NIN), which is in the possession of the NIMC, should be produced for the purpose of facilitating the criminal investigation and tendering same to establish his client’s innocence.
He asked that the Comptroller General of NIS be directed to provide his clients with the documents and application form which Nwamini presented to obtain his international passport, for the purpose of assisting the criminal investigation and tendering same before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court in the UK.
The SAN had also prayed the court for an order directing Stanbic IBTC Bank and UBA to provide the Certified True Copy of Nwamini’s mandate card and account opening package in their custody.
