The return to Nigeria last Tuesday, of Mrs. Beatrice Ekweremadu, has raised many curious eyebrows with many questioning whether indeed she served out her term in the United Kingdom prisons. Wife of the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu is believed to be staying in Abuja.
While Mrs Ekweremadu’s sentence officially stood at six years, her return does not logically indicate that she has served out her term in full.
Typically, prisoners in the UK serve 50% of their sentence before becoming eligible for release. However, factors such as the period spent on remand—reportedly from late June or early July 2022—are deducted from the sentence.
Even with these considerations, Mrs Ekweremadu would not have served the expected three years prior to her return on Tuesday.
The most plausible explanation for her early release appears to be the ongoing prison overcrowding crisis in the UK which has forced authorities to seek other ways of decongesting the prisons. Under the measures, certain prisoners serving sentences over five years and who have completed at least 40% of their term may be considered for early release.
While there is still no statemen on her release and subsequent return to Nigeria, the suspicion is that she might have benefitted from the policy.
Her husband, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, is still serving his 10-year prison sentence in the UK for his involvement in a highly publicized organ harvesting case.
The couple, along with Dr. Obinna Obeta, were convicted for their roles in the case, which sparked widespread attention and debate in Nigeria.
