ALLEGED KIDNAPPING: COURT ADJOURNS HEARING OF EVAN’S PLEA BARGAIN TILL MARCH 20
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The hearing on the application for a plea bargain agreement being sought for by convicted kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (alias Evans), has been adjourned to March 20 for both sides to give a report on the matter.
The case is before Justice Adenike Coker of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja.
This is the third kidnapping related case being brought against Evans by the state government. In February 2022, an Ikeja High Court Judge, Hakeem Oshodi, sentenced him to life imprisonment for the kidnap of Donatus Dunu, the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
In September 2022, another judge of the High Court, Oluwatoyin Taiwo ( now retired), sentenced Evans to 21 years imprisonment for kidnapping a businessman, Sylvanus Ahamonu, and collecting $420,000 as ransom from his family.
Evans is being prosecuted in three other charges, one of which is this present case. He and his
co-defendant, Joseph Emeka, are charged with the alleged offences of the murders of two persons, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
On Thursday, both defendants were re-arraigned on the five-count charge which they pleaded not guilty to. The prosecutor, Yusuf Sule, asked the court for a date to proceed on trial. But when asked by the judge for a report on the defendant’s plea bargain application, he said the matter is currently before the committee set up by the state government and that the second defendant is also seeking a plea bargain.
In his response, Evans’ lead defence counsel, Emefo Etudo, says he newly took up the case to represent the first defendant and that his primary focus is to pursue the plea bargain request and not a trial. He added that Evans recently bagged a Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) while in custody and is willing to further his education to the level of PhD. According to him, Evans has purged himself of the crimes and is asking the Lagos state government for a second chance so that he can help in counselling the youth against crime.
Justice Coker acknowledged the receipt of Evans’ plea bargain application and said that the defence counsel gave his client good advice in seeking plea bargain over his outstanding cases.
Further hearing is fixed for March 20 for report on the plea bargain application.
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