There was a graveyard silence in
the crowded courtroom after suspected billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme
Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, pleaded guilty to the first of the two
counts of conspiracy and kidnapping brought against him.
The Lagos State government
Wednesday arraigned Evans alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Okwuchukwu
Nwachukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, and Victor Aduba on a two count charge of
conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping.
According to the government, the
suspects had conspired on February 14th at about 7.45pm at Ilupeju, Lagos, to
kidnap one Donatus Dunu and collect €223,000 for his release.
After he pleaded guilty when the
first charge was read, there was a slight pause, and then the judge ordered the
court registrar to repeat the question.
Evans repeated the same answer.
He also pleaded guilty to the
second charge of kidnapping.
Mr. Amadi, the second defendant,
also pleaded guilty to the two counts.
Mr. Nwachukwu pleaded guilty to
conspiracy and not guilty to kidnapping.
Ms. Uchechukwu, the only female
in the group, and Messrs. Ifeanyi and Aduba, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Justice Hakeem Oshodi adjourned
till October 19 for trial of those who pleaded not guilty, and to look at the
evidence for those who pleaded guilty before their conviction.
According to the criminal laws of
Lagos State, an act of kidnapping attracts life imprisonment while kidnappers
whose victims die in their custody get the death penalty.
Ahead of the arraignment, there
was heavy security presence around the high court with armed police officers
and armoured personnel carriers stationed at both entrances into the premises.
Police officers on horsebacks
patrolled the grounds while uniformed men with bomb detectors frisked
journalists at the door of the courtroom.
At about 9.30 a.m., at least half
a dozen police officers marched a clean shaven Evans, sporting a cream shirt on
black trousers, and his co-defendants into the courtroom.
The defendants had been in police
custody since June 10.
Before their charges were read,
Olukoya Ogungbeje, counsel to the defendants, attempted to raise an issue
before the court but was shunned by the judge who told him “you can’t control
my courtroom, the charges have not been read.”
After the defendants took their
pleas, Mr. Ogungbeje said he had wanted to inform the judge that he had not
been allowed to discuss with his clients before the arraignment.
“We are having the opportunity of
meeting with our clients just this morning,” said Mr. Ogungbeje, who had filed
a fundamental rights enforcement suit on behalf of Evans at a federal court.
“All the defendants have since
been in the custody of the police, we have not had the opportunity of
conferring with them, this is a capital offence.”
Earlier, Adeniji Kazeem, the
Attorney General of Lagos State, specified that the defendants be remanded in
Kirikiri Maximum Prison before the next adjourned date.
“We apply for the defendants to
be remanded in custody and to obtain trial dates for the ones that had pleaded
not guilty,” said Mr. Kazeem, the lead prosecutor.
“While those that had pleaded
guilty, we can come and lay our statement of facts following which your
lordship can adjourn for sentencing.”
While adjourning, the judge
ordered that the male defendants be remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison
while Ms. Uchechukwu be kept at the Kirikiri Female Prison.
After the court proceedings,
which lasted about 45 minutes, Evans and the other defendants remained in court
for almost two hours before they were taken away in a waiting Prison vehicle.
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