Comedian Bovi Ugboma has come under criticism after a video from one of his shows in UK surfaced online showing him calling for the release of former deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu.
In the clip, Bovi questions the severity of Ekweremadu’s crime, asking the audience, “was he forced?”, a remark that many viewers interpreted as downplaying the conviction.
The comment drew backlash from some audience members and social media users. One attendee wrote, “Had to leave Bovi’s show when he started appealing for the release of Ike Ekweremadu. H e just ruined the entire show with that lousy moment.”
Others supported the reaction, criticising the comedian for using his platform to defend a convicted individual.
Ekweremadu was convicted in the United Kingdom in 2023 for his role in an organ trafficking case involving a Nigerian trader who was taken to London for a kidney transplant linked to his daughter’s medical condition.
He was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison, while his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu, received four years and six months and has since returned to Nigeria after serving part of her sentence.
Efforts by the Nigerian government to have Ekweremadu transferred to serve his sentence in Nigeria have so far been unsuccessful, with UK authorities declining the request.
