Absence of defence counsel to convicted, billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike popularly known as Evans stalled the scheduled re-arraignment on Tuesday before Justice Sherifat Sonaike sitting at Lagos High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square.
Also counsel to the third and fourth defendants were absent in court.
Evans alongside Joseph Emeka, Victor Aduba and Okpara Linus were brought before Justice Sonaike in two separate charges for their case to start denovo after the case file were transferred from Justice Adedayo Akintoye who was the initial trial judge.
At today’s proceedings, state prosecuting counsel Mr. M.O. Olateju announced his appearance for the prosecution while Mr. Osho appeared for the 2nd defendant.
The defendants in the first charge, are being charged with five counts of charges bordering on conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, and attempted murder, preferred against them by Lagos State Government.
The offences committed which are conspiracy is contrary to Section 411 Criminal Laws Cap C 17, Vol 13, of Lagos State 2015, kidnapping contrary to Section 271 (3) and counts three to five, attempted murder contrary to Section 230 (A) Cap C17, of the Criminal Laws of Lagos state 2015.
Evans was arrested on June 10, 2017.
He was in August arraigned before the trial judge, Justice Hakeem Oshodi at Lagos State High Court in Ikeja over the kidnapping and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Justice Oshodi, on February 25, 2022, found Evans and two others guilty of kidnapping the Managing Director of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Limited, Donatus Dunu on February 14, 2017, and collecting 223,000 Euros as ransom from his family.
Evans was also arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, another trial judge at the Lagos State High Court. She found Evans guilty and sentenced him to 21 years imprisonment.
Justice Taiwo on September 19, 2022, sentenced the convict and his co-defendant Victor Aduba, to 21 years imprisonment for kidnapping one Sylvanus Hafia.
They were accused of conspiring and kidnapping Sylvanus Ahanonu Hafia at about 5:30 p.m on June 23, 2014, at Kara Street, Amuwo Odofin in Lagos and were alleged to have captured and detained Hafia and demanded a ransom of $2m.
On the second charge the kidnap kingpin was charged alongside Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.
They are being charged on two-count charges bordering on conspiracy to kidnap contrary to Section 411, Cap C17, Vol 3 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015 and kidnapping contrary to Section 271 (3), of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.
However, the second case was also stalled as Evans and the third and fourth defendants’ counsel were absent from court.
Further hearing in the matter has been adjourned by Justice Sonaike till January 26, 2023 for the arraignment of the defendants.
