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BBC Pidgin of Friday, 5 May 2023

Source: BBC

I feel guilty, dis tin happun to my parents becos of me - Sonia Ekweremadu

Sonia Ekweremadu for interview wit BBC Sonia Ekweremadu for interview wit BBC

Sonia Ekweremadu don tok for di first time since di organ trafficking case wey land her parents, former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and im wife Beatrice for wahala wit UK authorities.

“Me my broda and sister dey house and di door bell ring, we bin tink say na our parents but na police dem show for door, dem tell me say dis na wetin dem dey arrrest me for, my first reaction na shock" Sonia tok inside exclusive interview wit BBC Simi Jolaoso.

She explain say she bin shock wen dem tell am wetin dem arrest am for, e bin dey difficult sake of say no be only am, her parents too also dey involve.

UK court convict Ekweremadu, im wife and Obeta for March 2022 on top accuse of organ-trafficking plot say dem bring one 21-year-old man to di UK from Lagos.

Dem convict Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, im wife Beatrice, 56, and Dr Obinna Obeta, 50, say dem conspire to exploit di man for im kidney, in di first of such case under modern slavery laws.

Authorities say dem carry di victim wey be street trader for Lagos go UK last year to provide im kidney for inside one £80,000 private transplant for di Royal Free Hospital for London.

Di prosecution say dem offer am up to £7,000 and promise am opportunities for UK for, and e na only wen e meet doctors for di hospital, e realise wetin dey go on.

Wen BBC ask Sonia about wetin she tink about her parents conviction, Sonia say she personally disagree wit am but dat na from her own biased point of view.

“I understand di conviction, however, I personally disagree wit am, however dat na from very bias perspective as dia daughter, I go obviously always back my parents”.

“However, di law don take im course, we just need to move on as one family” Sonia tok.

'I currently dey on dialysis'

Sonia say at di moment, she dey undergo dialysis.

Di former Deputy Senate president pikin describe di disease wey she get as Nephrotic syndrome.

Dat na one kind kidney disorder wey dey make bodi pass too much protein inside urine.

She further explain say di two option wey she get na to either stay on dialysis for di rest of her life or undergo kidney transplant.

In ansa to di question as to why dem no look for donor within di family, Sonia tell BBC say she get di "APO1" gene so e no dey possible for her to get donor from her family.

Also, she say her papa side of dia family get some kind history of kidney wahala so e no dey easy to get donor from within.

Di lawmaker pikin add say na for August 2021 she bin find out say e fit possible say she go need do kidney transplant na den dem reach out to pipo.

Wen dem ask her about how dem take get di young man wey bin suppose donate im kidney to her, Sonia tok say she no involve for di process.

“I no get hand at all, na mostly my family wey handle everytin about my medical side”.

“I sabi say one pesin don come forward, I bin just reach UK wit my uncle and me and my mama bin wan thank di pesin and den di picture we take togeda dey basically for memories”, (she tok about a foto wey show her and di 21-year-old donor).

But Sonia say she no fit ansa kwesion about weda she sabi say dem tag di suppose donor as her cousin she say she no sabi completely how dat mata go.

"To an extent but I no really know anytin wey lead up to am.

I no feel anytin towards am, I wish am all di best and dat na really am." She tok.

Ontop question if she don get anoda donor, Sonia say shortly afta di court mata, she bin put out appeal to beg for donor and plenti pipo bin come up but dem never dey able to do anytin sake of say she still dey undergo dialysis.

“Hopefully I go dey able to get transplant soon, but as una sabi, our family still dey di middle of trial I go like use dis opportunity to apologise to dem about how everytin play out”, Sonia explain.

'Life no go ever be di same, I feel guilty'

Sonia say she dey visit her parents for prison and dem dey calm but she no fit tok how dem feel for inside.

She regret wetin dey happun to her parent sake of her and she already dey feel guilty.

However, Sonia say wetin she don learn from di whole matter be say “Life dey so dynamic, one day you dey your house dey chill, di next day your whole life don turn upside down”.

She say tins no go ever be di same for dia family again.

"I no tink say tins go ever be di same, already I feel guilty, becos I feel say all dis happun becos of me."