Alleged kidnapp kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike alias Evans and five defendants standing trial for conspiracy and kidnapping will on Friday, February 25, 2022 know their fate in respect of the charge leveled against them by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.
A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja presided over by Justice Hakeem Oshodi fixed the judgement date after listening to the oral submissions of the final written addresses of the prosecution and defence counsel.
Justice Oshodi said, “The case is adjourned till Feb. 2022 for judgement.”
Evans’ defence counsel, Mr. Victor Opara, SAN, during his oral submission asked the court to discharge and acquit Evans of the two-count charge.
According to him, in a final written address dated November 1, the defence counsel said there was no direct evidence linking Evans to the alleged crimes.
Opara told the court that Dunu the alleged kidnap victim who was blindfolded throughout his 88-day ordeal did not state to the court in his testimony that he could physically identify his prime suspect.
“There is also the fatality of the prosecution’s case that there was no identification parade to identify the first defendant (Evans).
“There was no evidence before your Lordship to show that the second Prosecution Witness (Duru) had the clear opportunity of identifying the first defendant.”
Recall that Evans and his co-defendants; Uche Amadi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba are accused of the February 14, 2017 kidnap of Mr. Donatus Duru, the Managing Director of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Limited.
Countering his submisaions, the lead state prosecutor, Mr. Adebayo Haroun in a final written address dated November 30 urged the court to convict the defendants as charged.
Haroun told the court, “When a man has confessed to the crime, you do not need an identification parade.
“There is direct evidence of second Prosecution Witness (Duru) testifying of how he was kidnapped, how he escaped and the roles the defendants each played.
“We have circumstantial evidence linking the first defendant (Evans) to the crime and we also have confessional statements and video recordings of him.
“We urge your Lordship to convict the defendants as charged.”
Evans is also facing trial alongside other co-defendants before Justices Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court, Adedayo Akintoye of an Igbosere High Court and Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court.
