Embattled former Deputy Senate Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice yesterday scaled the first hurdle of their trial as a United Kingdom court ruled that the young man at the centre of their ordeal was not a minor.

But the Ekweremadus will remain in custody till August 4 when the Central Criminal Court in London will takeover their trial following approval by the office of the UK Attorney-General.

David Nwaminu, a 21-year-old Ebonyi State indigene and a Lagos-based telephone accessories seller, had alleged that the Ekweremadus tricked him to the UK for organ harvesting.

He had told the London Metropolitan Police which arrested and charged the couple to the Uxbridge Magistrate Court on June 23, that he was 15.

The couple was charged with allegations of human trafficking and organ harvesting that violate the UK’s  Modern Slavery Act.

The Uxbridge court adjourned until July 7, to determine whether the Ekweremadus trial could continue in the UK.

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When the court came up at the  Westminster Magistrate Court yesterday, Nwamini admitted that he was not 15 but 21.

His admission was after arguments and counterarguments by the defence counsel and the prosecutor on Nwamini’s age.

“We deny that there was exploitation or intent to do so,”  one of the two defence lawyers, Garvin  Irwin told the court.

Irwin and the second defence counsel,  Szilvia Booker,  had also informed the court of a bail application they intend to file in the first week of August.

Adamu Bulkachuwa, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, led the Senate delegation to the  Westminister court.to solidarise with the Ekweremadus.

David Mark, a former Senate president; Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, former minister of state for Education, and a delegation from the Nigeria High Commission, were also in the court.

The Ekweremadus had sponsored Nwamini to London to donate one of his kidneys to their sick daughter, Sonia, who is on dialysis in the UK.