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Ekweremadu Detained 82 Days, Daughter Seeks Kidney Donor

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Sonia Ekweremadu, the ailing daughter of the detained former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has appealed to members of the public to donate a kidney to save her life.

Recall that Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, were arrested by the Specialist Crime Team of the Metropolitan Police in London, United Kingdom, for bringing a child into the country to allegedly harvest his organs.

They were arrested in June 2022 at the Heathrow Airport in London and arraigned before a UK Magistrate’s Court.

While Ekweremadu’s wife was granted bail by a criminal court in London, the Senator was denied the same and had been in the custody of UK authorities since June 23.

Checks by The PUNCH revealed that Ekweremadu had spent no fewer than 82 days in prison custody since his arrest in the UK. The case against him was recently adjourned till October 31, 2022.

However, as the politician continues to languish in prison, his ailing daughter, who expressed worry over her father’s health, in an emotional post on Instagram on Monday, appealed to members of the public to save her with a kidney donation.

Chronicling her ordeal using her Instagram handle, @soniaekw, Sonia, a graduate of Media and Communications, University of Coventry, said she dropped out of postgraduate studies after she was diagnosed with rare kidney disease.

In the statement titled, “Appeal for Kidney Donation by Sonia Ekweremadu,” the 25-year-old wrote, “I, Sonia Ekweremadu, hereby appeal to the general public to come to my aid and save my life. I was diagnosed with rare kidney disease, FSGS Nephrotic Syndrome.

“My family has battled to save my life and has taken me to various hospitals but the illness persisted and kept degenerating. I am alive today by the special grace of God. I am presently in London, UK, receiving five hours of dialysis 3-4 times a week. This is at the expense of my family as I am not qualified for the NHS due to my immigration status.

“The last three years have been extremely challenging. The charges being faced by my parents in London presently are directly connected to my illness and have complicated matters for me and my family.

“I do not intend to delve into details of this unfortunate development as the matter is still in court. I am however optimistic that the truth will prevail and it will end in praise to God. In the circumstance above, I am appealing to anybody whom it may please to assist me willingly with a kidney donation in the name of God.”

Sonia, who said her family members were eager to donate their kidneys knowing that she would do the same for them, explained that a comprehensive medical examination had shown that her case of nephrotic syndrome was a genetic illness and doctors advised against donation from any of her family members, noting that it would likely reoccur.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Organ Harvesting: Ekweremadu To Remain In custody Till Oct 31

She said, “In the time that my father has been incarcerated, he has been diagnosed with acute kidney damage. Anybody that is moved by this appeal and wishes to donate his or her kidney to me may send an email to helpsonialive@gmail.com and include his or her name, phone number, email address and place of residence.

“Please, note that under the laws of England and Wales, organ donation must be purely driven by compassion and therefore no reward is involved.

“Finally, I have decided to commit and dedicate myself to helping people with the challenges of kidney disease, upon my full recovery. Thank you and God bless you.”

PUNCH

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Grammy Winner Found Dead In Her Apartment

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Grammy-winning singer Mandisa, who rose to fame on season five of “American Idol,” has died.

She died on Thursday, April 18 at the age of 47, her representative said Friday.

“We can confirm that yesterday Mandisa was found in her home deceased,” her representative said in a statement. “At this time we do not know the cause of death or any further details.”

READ ALSO: APC Debunks Viral Video, Says Presidency Not After Ganduje

“We ask for your prayers for her family and close knit circle of friends during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement concluded.

A post on the artist’s Facebook page said early Friday: “Mandisa was a voice of encouragement and truth to people facing life’s challenges all around the world. She wrote this song for a dear friend who had passed in 2017.”

“Her own words say it best. I’m already home / You’ve got to lay it down / ‘cause Jesus holds me now— / And I am not alone.”

Born and raised in Citrus Heights, California, Mandisa studied music in college before auditioning for Idol in 2005.

READ ALSO: Drama As Two Ebonyi Commissioners Fight In Public

Mandisa’s shot to stardom after placing ninth on “American Idol,” alongside favorites like Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry, Paris Bennett, Elliott Yamin and eventual winner Taylor Hicks.

After her Idol elimination, Mandisa went on to release her debut album, True Beauty, in 2007. The LP debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums charts, a historic feat that made Mandisa the first new female artist ever to debut on the top of the chart’s 27-year history.

True Beauty was the first six albums Mandisa would release throughout her career, including an acclaimed 2008 holiday record, It’s Christmas, and her most recent offering, 2017’s Out of the Dark.

She went on to win a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2014 for her album “Overcomer.”

 

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Man Sets Self On Fire Outside Trump Trial Venue

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A man set himself on fire Friday outside the court where Donald Trump is standing trial in Manhattan, with officers rushing to extinguish the flames.

Burning clothes were strewn in the park, which was locked down by authorities, while ambulances lined up nearby on standby, an AFP correspondent at the scene saw, describing a strong smell of burning chemicals.

The scene unfolded moments after the full panel of 12 jurors and six alternates was selected for the trial of the former president in a hush money cover-up case.

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A male did light himself on fire outside of the Supreme Courthouse. We’re still gathering details from the field,” said a New York Police Department spokesman.

The fire department did not respond to a request for comment, but media reported the man had been taken away for medical treatment.

The incident happened in a park opposite the 100 Centre Street courthouse, which has been used by authorities to corral protesters, both pro-Trump and anti-Trump, as well as by some members of the media.

READ ALSO: Biden Calls Trump Main Threat To US Democracy

The park, which is close to several courthouses and other buildings, is a popular local lunch spot.

Trump’s criminal trial, the first of a former president, is being conducted amid tight security in a 15th-floor courtroom swarming with Secret Service officers as well as court police.

New York’s police department had promised a major deployment to ensure the trial passes off safely, with the force’s head of intelligence John Hart calling it a “major challenge.”

AFP

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Police Storm Iranian Embassy In Paris After Man ‘In Suicide Vest’ Threatened To Blow Himself Up

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A man has surrendered to police after he reportedly threatened to blow himself up at the Iranian consulate in Paris with a suicide vest.

According to Mail Online, the man gave himself after 2pm, walking out of the consulate with his hands in the air and giving himself over to police at the scene.

‘He had no explosives or weapons on him,’ said a security source. ‘He was placed under arrest immediately and taken away to a secure police station for questioning.’

READ ALSO: Tinubu Directs Inclusion Of NOUN Graduates In NYSC Scheme, Law School

Specialist BRI officers continued to swarm around the area, together with sniffer dogs, just in case explosives had been hidden in the area.

‘The security perimeter will be maintained for a while yet,’ said the source.

The individual was for a time holed up inside the building in the French capital’s 16th arrondissement in a room with the ambassador, one report said.

He was said to be wearing an explosive belt and equipped with an object that resembled a grenade, Europe 1 and other sources reported earlier.

The area was cordoned off and evacuated, with a police source saying that an ‘intervention was imminent’.

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This suggested officers had been preparing to storm the building.

‘A witness saw a man enter carrying a grenade or an explosive belt,’ a source told France’s AFP news agency, adding that an elite police unit had been mobilised after the consulate requested an intervention.

‘The man presented him at the consulate, and then removed his coat, to show off an alleged explosives vest,’ another security source said at the scene.

‘He said he was carrying a grenade, and then placed a national flag on the floor. He said he wanted to avenge his brother.’

Police ordered the city’s Metro Line 6 to be interrupted as a safety measure.

Europe 1 reported that the embassy contacted the police requesting assistance, reporting that the man was inside the building. It said he was holed up in a room inside the consulate ‘in the presence of the ambassador’.

There were no reports of an explosion.

The incident came amid increasing tensions between Israel and Iran, with the Jewish state today launching strikes against the Islamic Republic.

This was in response to Iran launching over 300 missiles toward Israel on Saturday, 99 percent of which were intercepted by Israel and its allies.

 

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