Headline
Ekweremadu Detained 82 Days, Daughter Seeks Kidney Donor

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
Headline
Welcome Home, Israel Confirms Return Of 20 Hostages From Gaza
Israel said that the last 20 living hostages released by Hamas on Monday had arrived in the country.
“Welcome home,” the foreign ministry wrote in a series of posts on X, hailing the return of Matan Angrest, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Elkana Bohbot, Rom Braslavski, Nimrod Cohen, David Cunio, Ariel Cunio, Evyatar David, Guy Gilboa Dalal, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Segev Kalfon, Bar Kuperstein, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, Yosef Haim Ohana, Alon Ohel, Avinatan Or and Matan Zangauker.
READ ALSO:Trump Gives Update On Israel, Hamas Peace Deal
AFP
Headline
20 Members Of Gang Blacklisted By US Escape Guatemala Prison
Twenty members of a gang designated a “foreign terrorist organisation” by the United States have escaped from detention in Guatemala, a prison chief said Sunday.
The members of the Barrio 18 gang “evaded security controls” at the Fraijanes II facility, prison director Ludin Godinez said at a news conference.
He received “an intelligence report” on Friday warning about the “possible escape” from the prison, which is southeast of the capital, Guatemala City.
Godinez said they were investigating possible acts of corruption.
READ ALSO:China’s Trade Surges Despite US Tariff Threats
Washington last month blacklisted Barrio 18, an El Salvador-based gang which has a reputation for violence and extortion, as part of its crackdown on drug trafficking.
The US embassy in Guatemala condemned the prison escape as “utterly unacceptable.”
“The United States designated members of this heinous group as the terrorists they are and will hold accountable anyone who has provided, provides, or decides to provide material support to these fugitives or other gang members,” the embassy said on X.
It called on the Guatemalan government to “act immediately and vigorously to recapture these terrorists.”
READ ALSO:US Threatens To Sanction Countries That Vote For Shipping Carbon Tax
According to Interior Minister Francisco Jimenez, there are about 12,000 gang members and collaborators in Guatemala, while another 3,000 are in prison.
The country’s homicide rate has increased from 16.1 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024 to 17.65 this year, more than double the world average, according to the Centre for National Economic Research.
According to the Salvadoran government, the gangs Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha, better known as MS-13, are responsible for the deaths of about 200,000 people over three decades.
The two gangs once controlled an estimated 80 percent of El Salvador, which had one of the highest homicide rates in the world.
Headline
South Africa Bus Crash Kills 40 Including Malawi, Zimbabwe Nationals
At least 40 people, including nationals of Malawi and Zimbabwe, were killed when a passenger bus rolled down an embankment in South Africa, a provincial transport minister said Monday.
The bus travelling to Zimbabwe crashed around 90 kilometres (55 miles) from the border on Sunday after the driver apparently lost control, Limpopo province transport minister Violet Mathye said.
“They are still working on the scene, but 40 bodies have already been confirmed to date,” Mathye told the Newzroom Afrika channel. The dead included a 10-month-old girl, she said.
READ ALSO:South African Court Finds Radical Politician Malema Guilty On Gun Charges
Thirty-eight people were in hospital and rescuers were searching for other victims, she told eNCA media.
The bus was travelling from the southern city of Gqeberha, around 1,500 kilometres away, and its passengers included Malawians and Zimbabweans who were working in South Africa. The crash may have been caused by driver fatigue or a mechanical fault, the minister said.
South Africa has a sophisticated and busy road network with a high rate of road deaths, blamed mostly on speeding, reckless driving and unroadworthy vehicles.
AFP
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