Suspected kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, aka Evans, and his lawyer refused to appear before a Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, on Monday. At the resumed hearing of the case, the matter could not go on as Evans’ counsel, Mr. Olarenwaju Ajanaku, sent a letter to the court that he would not be available and asked for an adjournment.
Consequently, the case was adjourned till October 24, for the continuation of trial.
Evans is currently facing two separate charges bordering on conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder before Justice Adedayo Akintoye. In the first charge, Evans is standing trial alongside Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu, and Victor Aduba. In the second charge, he is standing trial alongside Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba.
At the last adjourned date, a fifth prosecution witness, Izuchukwu Ezeuko, had told the court of how he traveled to the eastern part of the country to drop $1 million ransom to the alleged kidnappers of his employer. Ezeuko, a manager in the firm of the victim of the alleged kidnap, Mr. James Uduji, made the disclosure while giving evidence before Akintoye.
He had also told the court that he agreed to travel from Lagos to the east to drop the ransom in order to save his boss’s life. Ezeuko had narrated to the court how he paid $1 million ransom in two tranches of $800,000 and $200,000 to the kidnappers of his employer.
The witness, who was led in evidence by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, told the court that, on September 7, 2015, his employer came to the factory at Agbara as he usually did but at about 5 pm he received a call that his employer, who had left the factory for home, was kidnapped.
However, after some weeks of the alleged kidnap, on October 10, 2015, he got a call from a private number, who said he should speak with his boss. “My boss then spoke to me and said if I want him alive, I should go to the East to deliver money to the alleged kidnappers.
“I went to Festac and met Mr. Edwin Uduji, the victim’s brother, who arranged the first $800,000 for me to travel with. On October 11, which was the next day, I drove down to the East with the victim’s elder sister. In the East, a voice gave us instructions on how to drop the money,” Ezeuko said.
Another witness, Sergeant Kingsley Harold, had also given evidence in the first charge in which Evans is standing trial alongside Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu, and Victor Aduba, for the alleged kidnap of Mr. Donatus Dunu.
Harold who was led by Dr. Jide Martins said after Evans was arrested, he was asked to make a statement at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad office, Ikeja, but Evans said he was not too good in writing.
