A wealthy and influential Nigerian politician and his wife have been jailed for plotting to traffic a vulnerable man to London in order to harvest his organs for their sick daughter.

In a landmark prosecution, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, his wife Beatrice, 56, and middleman Dr Obinna Obeta, 51, were found guilty of modern slavery charges in March.

They were convicted of bringing a poverty stricken street trader from Lagos to London in the hope of providing a kidney for their 25-year-old daughter Sonia, who was in need of a transplant.

At a sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, Mr Justice Johnson jailed Ekweremadu for nine years and eight months, while his wife received four years and six months and Obeta got 10 years.

Their trial had heard how the Ekweremadus had lied by claiming the victim was a cousin of their daughter when in fact he was a penniless street trader who sold mobile phone accessories from a cart in Lagos.