Nigerian Man Lured to London in Organ-Trafficking Plot

A young Nigerian man was deceived into travelling to London as part of an organ-trafficking plot, later telling a court he was treated as a domestic servant by the man who arranged his journey. David Nwamini, now 22, arrived in the UK in February 2022 after being promised work and accommodation by Obinna Obeta, a radiologist who had undergone a kidney transplant at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead seven months earlier.

Nwamini had been working in Lagos’s Ikotun Market, selling mobile phone accessories from a wheelbarrow. He was contacted by Obeta in late 2021 after his friend Friday, who had already moved to London, recommended him. Obeta told Nwamini he would need to travel to Abuja for medical tests before his visa could be processed. Nwamini later testified he believed the offer was a blessing, telling the court, "Because I think it’s from God."

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Exploitation in London

Upon arrival, Nwamini was taken to a house off the Old Kent Road in south London, where he met Obeta for the first time. He was instructed to sleep in the living room and was given no money. His passport was confiscated. In court testimony reported by The Guardian, Nwamini described being treated like a "houseboy," saying, "Every day I wash plates, I wash toilet, I wash, I sweep."

Obeta had received a kidney transplant at the Royal Free Hospital in July 2021. The donor was Nwamini’s friend Friday, who had been falsely presented as Obeta’s cousin. The transplant cost £70,000 and was arranged through a medical tourism company run by a Nigerian doctor who was then an NHS consultant. Obeta’s surgeon described Friday in medical notes as a "shy, good-looking, muscular man" with a "bashful manner."

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Links to a Political Family

While Nwamini was being exploited in south London, Sonia Ekweremadu, the 24-year-old daughter of Nigerian senator Ike Ekweremadu, was receiving treatment for kidney disease at the same hospital. Sonia had been diagnosed with FSGS Nephrotic Syndrome, a rare condition causing kidney scarring, while studying for a master’s degree in film at Newcastle University in 2019. She later dropped out due to her illness.

Ike Ekweremadu, Sonia’s father, is a five-term senator and former deputy president of Nigeria’s senate. He also served as speaker of the Economic Community of West African States parliament in the 2010s. The family owns properties in Nigeria, the US, and the UAE, as reported by The Guardian. Sonia had been living in London and receiving treatment at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, which specialises in kidney disease.

“Every day I wash plates, I wash toilet, I wash, I sweep.”

David Nwamini, witness

Organ Trafficking in Context

Organ trafficking is classified as a form of modern slavery in the UK when people are moved across borders for the purpose of organ harvesting. The World Health Organization estimates that 5% to 10% of global transplants involve patients travelling abroad to purchase organs. Nigeria only introduced comprehensive standards for organ transplants in 2025, with around 2,000 kidney transplants performed in the country to date.

Obeta had been receiving treatment for kidney failure in London after struggling to access affordable care in Nigeria. He later told The Guardian that kidney disease treatment in Nigeria was like "moving from here to the morgue." Wait times for kidneys in the UK average two to three years, and up to five years in the US.

What Happens Next

The outcome of Nwamini’s court testimony and any legal proceedings against Obeta or others involved remain unclear. The Guardian reported that Nwamini’s case is part of a broader investigation into organ trafficking and exploitation. It is not known whether Sonia Ekweremadu or her family were aware of or connected to the events involving Nwamini and Obeta.