By 
A Nigerian court on Friday ordered the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and some banks in the country to release the biodata information of David Ukpo to the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice.
The ruling may likely raise concerns over data privacy infringement among privacy authorities. The Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) issued in January 2019 forbids unwarranted release of any person’s personal data except for reasons of national security. Ekweremadu and his wife’s legal issues are private matters and cannot be regarded as important to national security, a person knowledgeable with the matter told IT Edge News in Lagos.
Already, the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) is investigating into the use and public circulation of the personal data allegedly belonging to Nwamini David and Sonia Ekweremadu in the ongoing case of organ transplant pending before a British Court.
Senator Ekweremadu, 60, and his wife Beatrice, 55, are at the centre of criminal proceedings for alleged organ-harvesting scheme. Both have been formally charged at the Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court in west London with conspiring to transport a 15 years old Nigerian boy to the UK from Lagos, Nigeria in order to harvest organs.
RELATED: Ekweremadu: NDPB probes possible breach of citizens’ data privacy in organ transplant case
Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, made the order in a ruling after listening to the lawyer to Ekweremadu and his wife, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN).
NAN reports that the former Deputy Senate President and his wife had in a suit with number FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2022, urged the court to among others, order the defendants to supply them with the certified-true copies of David Ukpo’s biodata information in their care to aid their (plaintiffs) defence in their trial before a United Kingdom Magistrates’ Court, where they are accused of plotting to harvest Ukpo’s organ (kidney).
Others mentioned in the suit are the Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service; Stanbic-IBTC Bank; United Bank of Africa and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc as 2nd to 5th respondents respectively.
When the case was mentioned, Awomolo declared that an application had been made for the withdrawal of the case against the NIBSS, which Justice Ekwo accepted and struck its name out.
Justice Ekwo said he was satisfied that the defendants had been served with the relevant court documents.
The judge declared that by the averments in the application by Ekweremadu and his wife, he was satisfied that their prayers were out to be granted.
“I make an order granting the prayers,” he declared
