Suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, aka Evan, is in trouble as his lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje has abandoned him to his fate.
EvansOgungbeje has declared that he was no longer interested in representing Evans in any of his criminal or civil matters.
The lawyer who represented Evans in his multiple kidnapping, murder and attempted murder trials at the Lagos High Court and two civil suits at the Federal High Court in Lagos, cited “personal reasons” for his decision.
In a press statement issued on June 13, the Ogungbeje claimed that he and his colleagues in the matter had suffered threats to their lives.
He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that we have fought a good fight this far despite repeated and sustained threats to my life and my defense lawyers.
“I dare say we have no regrets whatsoever having conducted the criminal charges involving our client this far.
“For the sake of history, we have been able to enrich the basic principles of our criminal jurisprudence, especially the principle premised on ‘An accused person being presumed innocent until the contrary is proved no matter the public opinion and criticism”.
Ogungbeje also claimed that his team kept the Lagos State Prosecution team on its toes in the art of forensic, proper and thorough investigation and prosecution of the accused persons.
Evans was arrested on June 10, 2017, in his Magodo, Lagos mansion by the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Led by DCP Abba Kyari. He arrested for alleged offenses of armed robbery and kidnapping.
He is currently facing five criminal charges before three Lagos High Court judges, Justice Hakeem Oshodi, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo and Justice Adedayo Akintoye.
Evans had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge against him when he was first docked before Justice Oshodi but later made a by changing his plea to not guilty before the court.
Then, Ogungbeje alleged that his client was forced to plead guilty to the charges preferred against him and others by the state government.
After that, all attempt by Ogungbeje to quash charges against Evans failed woefully and all the civil suits filed on behalf of his client were also dismissed by the Federal High Court Lagos.
On several occasions, Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Ms. Titilayo Shitta-Bey has accused Ogungbeje of trying to frustrate the speedy trial of the accused.
