By Henry Ojelu
There was an unusually heavy presence of security operatives at the premises of Ikeja High Court, Lagos as the Lagos State Prosecuting team concluded it’s case against billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans and six others over the alleged kidnap of Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Ltd, Donatius Dunu in Lagos.
Evans is standing trial along with Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba before Justice Hakeem Oshodi.
The six defendants were arraigned on August 30, 2017, on a two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping.
According to the prosecution, they 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 the resumed trial of the matter Friday, there was a noticeable increase of security personnel deployed by the police to the court.
While 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.
Vanguard could not ascertain the reason for the increased presence of security officers within the court premises.
While the security officers kept guard within the courtroom, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) Insp. Idowu Haruna, who had been absent during three previous proceeding, in his concluding testimony narrated how Evans spent the ramsom he collected from his victims.
He said, “The proceed collected by the first defendant was used for purchasing houses a Magodo Estate Lagos where he was arrested. He also bought a house at Emmanuel Keshi street at Magodo Estate. He bought a house located at Accra, Ghana. The 1st defendant also bought landed property at Anambra State from the proceed of the ransom.”
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.
After the testimony of the Insp Haruna, the prosecuting counsel, Adebayo Haroun told the court that the state has concluded it’s case against the defendant.
“My Lord, at the junction, 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.
VANGUARD
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