Prosecution Concludes Case against Alleged Kidnap Kingpin Evans, others

Akinwale Akintunde

The Lagos State prosecuting team, yesterday, concluded its case against billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans and six others over the alleged kidnap of the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Ltd, Donatius Dunu in Lagos.

Evans is standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba before Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja.

The accused were arraigned on August 30, 2017 on a two count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping. The prosecution had alleged that Evans and the other accused persons kidnapped Dunu and collected 223,000 Euros (N100 million) as ransom from his family.

Evans is also standing trial before two other courts for the alleged kidnap of other victims.

At resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) Inspector Idowu Haruna, who had been absent during three previous proceedings, in his concluding testimony narrated how Evans spent the ransom he collected from his victims.

According to Idowu, the ransom collected by Evans was used to purchase the houses at Magodo Estate Lagos where he was arrested.

"The proceeds collected by the first defendant was used for purchasing houses at Magodo Estate Lagos where he was arrested. He also bought a house at Emmanuel Keshi street at Magodo Estate. He bought a house located in Accra, Ghana. The 1st defendant also bought landed property at Anambra State from the proceeds of the ransom," he stated.

At the instance of the counsel to the 6th defendant (Victor Aduba) Emmanuel Ochai, a video clip of Evans confessional statement was played in court where he (Evans) claimed that the 6th defendant who is a dismissed soldier did not partake in the kidnap of Dunu.

The video also showed Evans confessing that he got help with arms from someone in prison to carry out more kidnappings which included the attempted kidnapping of Chief Obianuju Vincent the leader of "Young Shall Grow Motors".

After the testimony of Idowu, the prosecuting counsel, Adebayo Haroun told the court that the state had concluded its case against the defendant.

"My Lord, at this juncture, prosecution would like to close its case against the defendants," he said. Justice Oshodi thereafter adjourned the matter to January 31, 2020 for the defendants to open their case.

Meanwhile, there was an unusual heavy presence of security operatives at the court premises when the matter was ongoing. Scores of officers from the Special Anti-Roberry Squad, SARS and the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team, were sighted within and outside the courtroom.