Absence of Judge delays Evans trial

On Monday, the scheduledtrialof alleged kidnap kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans, at an Ikeja HighCourt,was delayed due to the absence of the judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo.

Our news correspondent learnt from a court official, who pleaded anonymity,that Justice Taiwo was on an official assignment with JusticeOpeyemi Oke, the Chief Judge of Lagos State.

However, the case was adjourned until June 16 for a continuation of trial.Evans is facing trial alongside Victor Aduba on a four-count charge bordering on kidnappingand unlawful possession of firearms.They are accused of kidnapping Mr. Sylvanus Ahamonu, holding him hostage for at least nine weeks and collecting a ransom of 420,000 dollars from hisfamily.

During the last court proceedings on March 14, the videos of Evans confessing to committing crimes of kidnapping and armed robbery within and outside Lagos were shown in court.

The footage in two compact discs was aired during the testimony of Inspector Idowu Haruna, a member of the Police Intelligence Response Team.The videos which were projected on the wall of the courtroom showed Evans wearing a red T-shirt, seated on a leather sofa in a room and confessing his crimes to Haruna.He could be seen smiling and telling the policeman about his daytime and nighttime armed robberies of banks as well as his kidnap escapades where ransom ranging from 250,000 dollars to one million dollars were received from his victims.

He could be heard giving details of his family background, how he ran away from home and embarked on a life of crime.Evans is also facing trialfor two other kidnappingcases at the Ikeja High Court.

They are being tried for the attempted kidnap of Chief Vincent Obianodo,the CEO of the Young Shall Grow Motors also before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, whilethe case of alleged kidnap of Mr. Donatius Dunu, the CEO of Maydon Pharmaceuticals is before Justice Hakeem Oshodi.

Evans Seeks N1bn From Police In Fresh Lawsuit

Alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans, today filed a fresh suit at a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking N1 billion damages against the Police over alleged unlawful sealing of his property in Lagos.

The suit, filed by his lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, has as the Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Police, Inspector General of Police, Intelligence Response Team, (IRT), Abba Kyari, an assistant commissioner of police and Phillip Rieninwa, a deputy superintendent of police, as respondents.

The applicant is seeking a declaration that the forceful seizure, confiscation and sealing of his property by the respondents without any court order is illegal, wrongful and unconstitutional.
He wants an order compelling the respondents jointly and severally to immediately and unconditionally release the properties as listed in the motion papers.

In addition, he is asking the court for an order compelling the respondents to immediately and unconditionally unseal and vacate the applicants two residential houses located at highbrow area of Magodo in Lagos.
Other reliefs are an order compelling the respondents to severally and jointly tender an apology to the applicant and to pay him the sum of N1 billion being general and exemplary damages for the alleged forceful seizure and confiscation of the applicant’s property without court order.

A perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from tampering or taking any action against the applicant or any of his properties in relation to this case.
Some of the properties listed in the application include N50 million cash, two residential duplex, brigade wrist-watch worth 170,000 dollars, a phone worth 30,000 dollars and five pieces of Saphono Rucci Diamond rings worth 100,000 dollars.

Others are three Italian travel bags worth $55,000, 10 Spanish shoes each worth N2.5 million, 20 KVA inverter set worth N10 million, two sets of dinning table worth N8 million.
The applicant also wants N4 million as cost of action against the respondents.
Evans was arraigned by the police before a Lagos High Court in October 2017 on a 40-count charge bordering on kidnapping, robbery among other offences.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit which was filed on Tuesday about 11.35 a.m.

NAN

Billionaire kidnapper, Evans asks court to set him free

- Suspected kidnapper, Evans asked the court to let him go free

- The suspect claimed the charges against him are defective

- He asked the court to quash the charges filed by the police against him Suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a Evans, on Wednesday, February 28 asked a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere to quash the two separate charges filed against him by the Lagos State Government.

The Lagos state government had brought a fresh five-count charge bordering on conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder against Evans and three others.
Evans is charged alongside Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.

In the second charge, Evans is being tried alongside Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Wednesday, counsel to the first defendant, Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje informed the court that he had filed a motion on notice to quash all the charge filed against the first defendant (Evans).

In the motion on notice, Ogungbeje said that all the charges and the proof of evidence before the court did not establish any prima facie case against the first defendant.
He also said that all the charges were “grossly defective, incompetent and constituted an abuse of court processes”.

He stated that the prosecution had earlier filed similar charges and amended charges bordering on kidnapping against the same first defendant pending before the same High Court of Lagos State.
He averred that the two separate charges were brought in bad faith to
“harass, oppress, hound, frustrate, vex and intimidate the first defendant.”

“It will be in the interest of justice if all the two separate charges are quashed and the defendant is accordingly discharged.”
Ogungbeje, however urged the court to adopt the facts as stated in the affidavit in support of the motion on notice.

In her response to the motion, the State Director for Public Prosecutions (DPP), Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, said there was sufficient proof and evidence linking the first defendant to the offences brought before the court.
She,therefore, urged the court to dismiss the application.
Shitta-Bey said that the first defendant was charged with the offence of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping of one Uche Okereafor.

She also said that other charges filed against the first defendant before other judges involved different defendants, different offences and different victims.
“This particular charge is premised on Evans involvement in the kidnapping of Okereafor and collecting ransom in the sum of two million dollars from his family.”
The DPP urged the court to expunge the submission of the first defendant as it constituted opinions, conclusions and argument contrary to Section 115 of the Evidence Act.
Meanwhile, the second defendant, Joseph Emeka has urged the court in a motion on notice to quash the two-count charge preferred against him.

He said the proof of evidence did not disclose any prima facie case against him.
However, the counsel to the fourth defendant Emmanuel Ochai, aligned himself with the submission and arguments of the first and second defendants’s counsel.
Justice Adedayo Akintoye, after listening to all the arguments, adjourned the case until March 22 for ruling.
NAN eports that the alleged kidnap kingpin was arrested on June 10, 2017 and was in August 2017 arraigned before Justice Hakeem Oshodi at an Ikeja High Court for kidnapping.

He was also arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of Ikeja High Court, Lagos

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Evans arraigned for fresh murder charge

Notorious Kidnapper, Chukwudememe Onwuamadike popularly known as  Evans was on Friday morning arraigned for fresh murder and attempted murder case .

He was arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of Lagos High Court in Igbosere,The Nation reports.Details are still sketchy at the moment and if you recall,Evans who initially pleaded guilty to kidnapping charges,changed his plea to not guilty,last week.

Evans pleads 'not guilty' at continuation of trial

- Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike also known as Evans, the notorious kidnapper, has pleaded not guilty after his arraignment in court today for the continuation of his trial

- Justice O. H. Oshodi, the presiding judge, arrived at the criminal court 18, Lagos High Court, Ikeja, Lagos, where the first trial took commenced; and called the case

-The notorious billionaire kidnapper entered his new plea after a 45 minutes recess which was called by the trial judge

- Two armoured tanks have been parked at the two entrances to the court, with various policemen stationed in the courtroom for the commencement of the high-profile trial notorious billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike also known as Evans, has pleaded not guilty,at the continuation of his trial at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, October 19. Evans was brought into court along with five other suspects- four men and one lady- and all of them were handcuffed.

NAIJ.com is currently in the court premises, and witnessed the arrival of Justice O. H. Oshodi at criminal court 18, the same place where the first trial commenced. After calling the case, the presiding judge stood it down for 45 minutes in order to allow the prosecution and defense counsels to confer. Afterwards, the judge returned; and Evans and the other 5 co-accused persons all entered 'not-guilty' pleas after an amendment was made to the charges leveled against them.

This comes despite the fact that the billionaire kidnapper had initially pleaded 'guilty' at his first trial appearance.For the high-profile trial, two armored tanks have been placed at the two entrances to the court.Policemen are also strategically positioned at various corners of the courtroom.

BREAKING! Kidnapper Evans Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy And Kidnapping

Kidnapper Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, aka Evans, has finally pleaded guilty to conspiracy and kidnapping before a judge of the Ikeja High Court.A Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on Tuesday adjourned the case till September 5 to hear arguments from Evan’s lawyer and lawyers representing the police force on why he should not deliver judgment on the fundamental rights application brought by Evans.

Justice Abdulaziz Anka had initially fixed Tuesday to deliver judgment on the suit but a lawyer to the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force, David Igbodo, appearing for the first time since the hearing began, said he had filed a counter affidavit before the court. “It will be an injustice for judgment to be delivered without hearing our own side,” Mr. Igbodo, Commissioner of Police (Legal Section), said.

Mr. Igbodo speaking with newsmen said investigation into the Evans’ case was “almost complete.” “The case is a very controversial one, it is a sensitive case,” he said.

Inspector General of Police gives update on Billionaire Kidnapper Evans

The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has revealed that kidnapper Evans will be charged to court soon.

According to Idris, the delay in Evans’prosecution is due to police investigations to track down his accomplices within and outside the country.

Idris who spoke at a seminar recentlysaid,

“Evans will be charged to courtvery soon. This is a man who has over the years been involved in kidnapping, collecting money in millions ofdollars and harassing Nigerians from the various parts of the country.

“What we are doing now is to ensure that we conduct thorough investigations so that anybody involved will be brought to book.“It seems kidnapping is becoming attractive to the youth. The more we arrest, the more they are coming up. But Ibelieve that with special courts, this will be addressed.”He said plans were underway to recruit more policemen to effectively pursue the principleof community policing.“We need the cooperation of the public.

There is no way we can succeed without their cooperation. We need the National Assembly to give a positive view of the Police Trust Fund and I believe with that, we can change the imageof the police in the country,” he added.