DAILY MAIL
The court heard the alleged victim was asked to donate his kidney to Ike’s 25-year-old daughter Sonia, who suffers from a ‘significant and deteriorating kidney condition’ and requires dialysis until she receives a transplant.
After Sonia’s doctor rejected him as a donor, the man wandered the streets for three days before walking into Staines police station and claiming he was a victim of human trafficking.
The Nigerian politician, along with his wife Beatrice, 56, Sonia and ‘middleman’ Dr Obinna Obeta, 51, all deny conspiracy to arrange the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.
Giving evidence at the Old Bailey via video-link, the alleged victim, who has been in the UK for the last year, admitted he had tried to make himself seem vulnerable to police.
He denies knowing he was being offered money to give Sonia his kidney, and claims he did not know about the kidney transplant until he met with a doctor in the UK.
It was claimed the man had been coached before the meeting to say he was Sonia’s cousin when they were not related.
The court had previously been told that the transplant was rejected after doctors decided he was not a suitable candidate.
Sally Howells, KC, cross-examining on behalf of Obeta, reminded the court of what the donor had told police at Staines police station.
He told police he was born in 2006, making him 15 years old.
He does not know his true date of birth but estimates he was born in 2000, making him 20 at the time.
He also told police he was living ‘on the streets’ in Lagos and ‘begging’ for money, when he had really been living in one room with two friends and selling phone parts at a market.
He also claimed his parents had died when he was very young, which he admitted today was a lie.
His father was a carpenter and lived with his mother, four younger brothers and four younger sisters in his village. He had moved to Lagos at 15 years old.
Ms Howells said: ‘It wouldn’t be right to say you were begging for money in Lagos because you were a market hustler selling phone accessories, weren’t you? And you were good at it you told us.
‘You were not begging for money were you?
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