Suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike. a. k.a Evans, faces second arraignment at an Igbosere High Court on Lagos Island amid watertight security.
Last week, Mr. Onwuamadike reversed his guilty plea, saying he admitted guilt under pressure.
Details later…
Alleged notorious kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a. Evans, is currently before the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere.
He is to be arraigned this morning before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo on charges bordering on kidnapping, murder and illegal possession of firearms.
The charges are separate from the ones pressed against him before the Ikeja division of the court, where he was last week re-arraigned before Justice Hakeem Oshodi.
Evans was brought to court by heavily armed security operatives, some of whom manned the door to the courtroom, screening persons entering the courtroom.
Evans is now seated in the gallery flanked by prison officials as he awaits the arrival of the presiding judge.
The Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday entered judgment against the Nigeria Police Force in the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by one Mr. Okwuchukwu Obiechina said to be the brother-in-law of alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans.
Justice Mohammed Idris, in a judgment on Monday, declared Obiechina’s arrest and detention and constitutional, holding that the remand order which the police claimed to have obtained from a magistrates’ court was invalid.
Apart from ordering the police to immediately release Obiechina unconditionally or charge him to court if they have any case against him, the court also awarded N2m damages in his favour against the police.
Justice Idris ordered the police to tender a public apology to Obiechina to be published in two national dailies.
The Lagos State Prisons says suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudi Onuamadike, known as Evans, does not receive special treatment.
“Evans” is being held at the Kirikiri Prisons with rumours saying he gets special treatment from Prisons officers.
However, the Controller of Prisons in Lagos, Tunde Ladipo, has debunked the stories, describing Evans as an “ordinary inmate” who does not get special treatment.
“We have rules and regulations that guide them. Evans is like every other inmate in prison”, Ladipo said in an interview with Vanguard.
“We have laws rules and regulations that guide them. Evans is like every other inmate in the prison. There is nothing special about him. It is just that there is so much hype about him being a suspected kidnapper.
Speaking further, Ladipo said: “As far as I am concerned, he is an ordinary inmate. So far, so good. There is no way he can even go above the law because he can’t have that chance. We have ensured that our prisons are secure. So there is no cause for alarm.
“In the cases of inmates making use of telephone and other facilities, I assure you that if any case like that comes up and we investigate and find it to be true, we will not hesitate to take positive action. For now, I assure you that we don’t have such thing in our prisons.”
Evans was arrested in June by operatives of the Nigerian Police Force.
Notorious kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans, on Thursday, made a U-turn as he entered a plea of `not guilty’ as he was re-arraigned on a two-count amended charge of conspiracy and kidnapping at an Ikeja High Court.
Evans had at his arraignment on Aug. 30 plead guilty to the charges, while other alleged accomplices — Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, the only female defendant, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba denied committing the offences.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that they were charged with the kidnap of Mr Donatius Duru on Aug. 30.
The punishment section in the second count of amended charge was changed from Section 271 (3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State to Section 2(1) of the Kidnap Prohibition Law of the Laws of Lagos 2017.
According to the prosecution led by Ms. P.K. Shitta-bey, the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Evans and his accomplices committed the offence of conspiracy at 7.45 p.m. on Feb. 14 on Obokun Street, Ilupeju, Lagos.
The prosecution said the defendants between Feb. 14 and April 12 at Obokun Street, Ilupeju, while armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, captured and detained Duru.
The defendants allegedly collected a ransom of 223,000 euros for the release of Donatius.
Before the amended charges were read to the defendants, Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje, the counsel to Evans and Amadi had opposed the reading of the charges to them.
“On behalf of the first and second defendants, we were served with the amended charge this morning.
“My Lord, we had earlier filed an application and the learned prosecutor also filed us a counter-affidavit, My Lord, grant us a very short date to `confer’ with the first and second defendants about this amended charge.
“We intend bringing a motion after their plea, I urge your Lordship to grant us a very short date,” Ogungbeje pleaded.
Mr Joseph Otogbolu, counsel to Uchechukwu, Mr A.A Uzokwu, counsel to Ifeanyi and Mr Emmanuel Ochai, counsel to Aduba, all aligned with the submission of Ogungbeje and asked for an adjournment to `confer’ with the defendants.
Mr O. Ajanaku, counsel to Nwachukwu, however, did not oppose the reading of the amended charge to the defendants.
“I am not opposing the charges being read to the defendants, the only change in the charge is just the law and the punishment section.
“I am ready for the charge to be taken and to go on with the trial,” he said.
Shitta-bey, however, opposed the request for adjournment by the counsel to the defendants.
“I will be opposing the application for adjournment, the court should allow the charges to be read to them and their pleas taken.
“Section 155(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State does not allow any formal application from the prosecution to amend charges.
“All the court needs to do is to take fresh pleas from the defendants,” he said.
The DPP also told the court that the state was ready to proceed with the trial and that three witnesses were already in court to testify.
Justice Hakeem Oshodi stood down the case for 45 minutes till 11.45 a.m. to enable the counsel `confer’ with the defendants.
NAN also reports that earlier, proceedings took an interesting turn when a dispute arose between Ogungbeje and Ajanaku after they had announced separate appearances to represent Nwachukwu, the fourth defendant.
“We are the counsel in record for the fourth defendant, if a new counsel in form of my legal colleague is coming into this matter, he should have filed the proper applications.”
Responding to Ogungbeje, Ajanaku said:“The last time this case came up, as a matter of expediency, my learned colleague appeared in court for some of the defendants in the case.
“Not too long ago, I was approached by the family of the fourth defendant to stand in for him which he can attest to.
“This is a criminal matter, if my learned friend is offended I apologise; I approached him this morning in court as I don’t know his address.”
In resolving the issue, Justice Oshodi told the court that Nwachukwu should be asked who is his counsel of choice because under the law, a defendant in criminal matters is entitled to a counsel of his choice.
When asked who was his preferred counsel, Nwachukwu said “It is Ajanaku.”
When the court resumed after the stand-down, the charges were read to the defendants and their pleas were taken.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until Nov. 3 to enable the defence to prepare for trial.
The lawyer representing notorious kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, aka Evans, has accused officers of the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team of extorting money and valuables running into hundreds of millions of naira from his client.
Olukoya Ogungbeje, who petitioned the Police Service Commission on Friday, also accused the officers of sexually molesting Evans’ girlfriend, Amaka Offor.
The petition was also copied to the National Assembly, the Inspector General of Police, the National Human Rights Commission, and Amnesty International.
The petition reads, “Our client has duly briefed us on the above captioned subject matter involving the police officers and policemen attached to the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team,”
‘The Evans Case and Saga: Brazen Extortion, Corruption, Gross Misconduct, Indiscipline, Sexual Molestation and Human Rights Violation Against the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team Police Officers and Policemen.’
But in this latest development, Mr. Ogungbeje accused the police, who detained him (Evans) for almost three months, before his first appearance in court, of forcefully collecting millions of naira as well as valuables and properties from his client.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is our secured brief that in the course of investigating our client while being detained in the custody of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) on the allegation of kidnapping, the following under-listed items were forcefully and corruptly extorted from our client.
1. The sum of N50, 000,000 (Fifty Million Naira) cash.
2. Another sum of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) sent by our client’s wife as pressured by the above policemen.
3. Twenty-five (25) Mack Trucks forcefully taken but not listed as exhibits in the ongoing criminal trial of our client.
4. Brigade wristwatch worth One Hundred and Seventeen (117) Thousand U.S Dollars.
5. Pendant cross worth Seventy (70) Thousand U.S Dollars.
6. Necklace worth Twenty-Five (25) Thousand U.S Dollars.
7. Virtu Phone worth Thirty (30) Thousand U.S Dollars.
8. Virtu Signature Phone worth Seventeen (17) Thousand U.S Dollars.
9. Ten (10) Thousand U.S Dollars cash extorted by ASP Phillip Rieninwa.
10. Five (5) Pieces of Saphono Rucci Diamond Rings worth One Hundred (100) Thousand U.S Dollars.
11. Lexus 470 Jeep.
12. Grand Cherokee Jeep.
13. L 400 Mitsubishi Bus.
14. Toyota Highlander (Gold Colour).
15. Eighty-Five (85) Inches Samsung Television set worth 6.5 Million Naira amongst others.
The lawyers added that, “our client also confided in us that one (Amaka Offor) his girlfriend was sexually molested and abused by the above policemen of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT),” the petition read.
The petition urged the Police Service Commission to conduct an investigation into the incident and invoke appropriate sanctions including dismissal against the culpable police officers.
“Sir, you would agree with us that these allegations are too weighty to be ignored by any right-thinking Nigerian.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that it calls for prompt investigation, inquiry and appropriate sanctions. We are using this medium as our own way of galvanizing institutional sanity, cleansing and reform in the Nigeria Police Force as an institution.
“As we speak, the brother in law and other relations of our client are still being detained and tortured by the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) without being arraigned before a Court of law,” the petition added.
The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the police to bring before it one Mr. Okwuchukwu Obiechina said to be the brother-in-law of alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans.
Justice Mohammed Idris, who made the order, said Obiechina must be brought before him on Thursday, October 12.
The order was pursuant to a suit filed by Obiechina, praying the court to order his release from police detention.
His lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, said Obiechina had been detained by the police since June 2 in connection with the kidnapping case of his brother-in-law, Evans.
The suit, marked FHC/L/CS/1050/20177, has Obiechina and his wife, Nzube, who is Evans’ sister, as plaintiffs.
They sued the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State; the Nigeria Police Force; and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State Police Command.
Ogungbeje had on Friday appeared before Justice Idris with an ex parte application, praying the court to order the police to free Obiechina.
But rather than granting the ex parte application, Justice Idris directed the lawyer to put the police on notice, with an order that the police must produce Obiechina before him on October 12 to show cause why the order for his immediate release should not be made.
A report by The Nation has revealed details on notorious kidnapper, Evans escape plans from police custody before his recent arraignment in court.
According to the report, police detectives, especially those in the Intelligence Unit, got wind of the plan and aborted his plot. As a result, the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) has formed a heavy security ring around the kidnapping suspect.
Recall that police arrested Chukwudubem Onwuamadike, popularly called ‘Evans’ on June 10 at No. 3, Fred Shoboyede, Magodo, Lagos. He is standing trial before an Ikeja High Court for alleged conspiracy and kidnapping alongside five others.
The other accused persons are Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba.
All the suspects were on August 29 remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons.
Evans escape plans
Unknown to many Nigerians, the kidnapping kingpin had allegedly tried to escape from his cell in Abuja after he was transferred from Lagos.
“A source spoke of Evans’ plan to give between $50,000 and $100,000 to one of the guards manning his cell to facilitate his escape.” The Nation reports
The source said Evans was allegedly coordinating his escape bid with some members of his gang by telephone which he obtained through “suspicious” means.
It was learnt that intelligence officers and IGP’s Special Tactical Squad detected Evans escape plans.
The source told The Nation: “When Evans was in our custody, he tried to escape but we were able to abort all his plans. We discovered that he had access to phones which were hidden in the middle of loaves of bread, eba, semovita and so on.
“He was making calls from these smuggled phones in the middle of the night, making arrangements with some yet to be identified members of his gang to arrange for his escape.
“We intercepted how he was luring one of the guards with about $50,000 to $100,000. He wanted an insider to serve as an informant to him and members of his gang.”
The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has said the police is working tirelessly to secure conviction against suspected billionaire kingpin, Chukwudumebi Onwuamaegbu, popularly called Evans.
The IG, who gave the assurance yesterday in his keynote address at a public security lecture in Uyo hailed the National Assembly for passing the anti-kidnapping bill into law and recommending a death sentence for perpetrators.
At the lecture with the theme: “Insecurity, socio-economic impacts and conflicts resolution perspectives”, the IGP said the police would also ensure that kidnap suspects are prosecuted in court as a way of checking incessant cases.
“With humility, I must state with some amount of confidence that these strategies have worked based on successes achieved so far. Most heinous crimes, especially kidnapping and armed robbery, which occurred, have so far been detected.
“You are very much aware of the fate of the notorious kidnapper, Henry Chibueze (alias Vampire) and the billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudi (alias Evans) and many others too numerous to mention here, who were arrested and many of them being prosecuted.
“Considering the detailed investigation being conducted on these cases, Insha Allah, we must gain conviction”, he said.
IGP Idris said the preventive strategies and arrests made by the police in recent times have helped in checking the activities of kidnappers, armed robberies and other heinous crimes in Kaduna-Abuja Express ways, South=South Zones and many parts of the country.
He added that the problems of cattle rustling and insurgency in the Northeast and Northcentral as well as militancy in the Niger Delta are also being tackled by the police.
“The ability of the Nigerian Police to control the secessionist tendency of IPOB in the Southeast is another success story, thanks to the Military Operation Python Dance in the Southeast,” the IG stated.
Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel said the issue of insecurity was not only the responsibility of security agencies but that of everyone.
He, however, said for the Federal Government to succeed in its fight against insecurity, it must address the factors that cause insecurity in the Niger Delta.