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Tag: Joseph Emeka

  • Cigarette burns made me confess to police – Evans

    An Igbosere High Court Lagos on Wednesday heard suspected billionaire kidnap kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, made his confessional statement to the police under duress.

    Evans told Justice Adedayo Akintoye that he signed papers given to him by the police so as not to be tortured to death.

    He claimed members of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), which arrested him in 2017, intimidated him by executing suspected criminals in his presence, before assaulting him.

    Evans is facing two separate charges, bordering on conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder, before Justice Akintoye.

    In the first charge, he is standing trial alongside Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.

    In the second charge, he is joined on trial with Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba.

    At the resumption of his trial on Thursday, Evans alleged the IGP IRT tortured suspects to death by suffocating them with plastic bags and threatened to do same to him if he failed to cooperate with them.

    He claimed that some sheets of papers were brought for him to sign, adding some of the papers were blank while others had written content.

    Read Also: ‘How Evans shot Young Shall Grow Motors’ chairman’

    Evans said: “When I asked what I was to sign the police officers slapped my head and even quenched a cigarette on my hand.

    “The officers were beating me and told me that if anything happened to me, no one would know. They hit my head and blood was gushing, the scars are still on my head.

    “When I saw how five men who were paraded with me were tortured and killed, I agreed to sign the papers with fear of what happened to the other men.”

    He also said that the contents of the papers he signed were not read to him and there was no video recording during the statement taking process.

    He testified during a trial within a trial conducted to ascertain whether his statement admissible or not.

    He was led in evidence by his counsel, Mr O. I. Ajanaku.

    The defendant was afterwards cross-examined by Lagos State counsel, Dr Jide Martins.

    Justice Akintoye adjourned further hearing till January 30.

  • Evans: Absence of defence counsel stall trial

    The trial of alleged Kidnap Kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike also known as Evans before a Lagos High Court, Igbosere was stalled on Monday due to the absence of his lawyer from the court.

    At the resumed proceedings on Monday, the court was informed that Evans’ counsel Mr Olarenwaju Ajanaku sent in a letter that he would not be available and asked for an adjournment.

    Evans is 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 travelled from Lagos to 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 kingpin, Mr James Uduji, had made the revelation while giving evidence before Justice 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’ life.

    Ezeuko had narrated to the court how he paid $1 million ransom in two tranches of $800, 000 and $200,000 dollars to the kidnappers of his employer.

    Led in evidence in Chief by the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice Lagos State Mr Adeniji Kazeem (SAN), Ezeuko had told the court that on September 7, 2015, his employer came to the factory at Agbara as he usually does, adding that at about 5.00pm he received a call that his employer who had left the factory for home was kidnapped.

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    However, after some weeks of the alleged kidnap on October 10, 2015, he got a call from somebody on 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 alleged kidnap of Mr Donatus.

    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 (SARS)office Ikeja but Evans said he was not too good in writing.

    The case has been adjourned till October 24, for continuation of trial.

  • ‘Evans shot me, pretended to be a doctor’

    A prosecution witness, Chief James Uduji, on Friday told a Lagos High Court in Igbosere that suspected ‘billionaire’ kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans, shot him during his kidnap and afterwards pretended to be a doctor.

    Uduji told Justice Adedayo Akintoye that Evans was the driver of the Lexus 470 SUV which he and three other members of his gang used during the operation.

    The witness testified at the commencement of the prosecution’s case against Evans and his co-defendants; Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba.

    The four were arraigned on June 26 following the dismissal of Evans’ objection to a five-count charge of conspiracy, kidnapping and attempted murder, preferred against them by the Lagos State Government.

    The defendants and others at large allegedly committed the offences on September 7, 2015, at Seventh Avenue, Festac Town, Lagos.

    The allegedly conspired and kidnapped Uduji, obtained a ransom of $1.2 million dollars and shot him on the shoulder while trying to kill him.

    They pleaded not guilty.

    Evans is also facing another charge of conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder, before the same judge.

    In this charge, he is standing trial alongside Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.

    Led in Examination-in-Chief by prosecution counsel Adebayo Haroun, Uduji narrated yesterday how he was kidnapped on September 7, 2015, by four armed men on his way home from his factory at Agbara in Ogun State.

    He said the incident took place very close to his house at 7th Avenue area of Festac Town, Lagos.
    Uduji said the alleged kidnappers drove a Lexus 470 SUV and fired several gun shots during the kidnap operation.

    The witness said he was surprised to see the men shooting towards his vehicle, adding that he thought they were the police.

    Uduji said: “I was inside my Hilux van with my two drivers when the men came and pulled me out of my vehicle and dragged me inside their own vehicle.

    “I was not blindfolded at this point, so I saw the men clearly and the man at the steering wheel with a gun was Evans; he is the only one I can recognise among the four,” Uduji said.

    The witness testified that it was when he was dragged out of his vehicle, that he noticed that he was stained with blood.

    “I then realised I had sustained a bullet wounds,” he explained.

    Uduji said the kidnappers called a doctor on phone who treated his bullet wound at their destination.

    The witness said he was given two tetanus injections for seven days, adding that Evans was the so called doctor who treated him.

    He said that he stayed for 45 days in captivity and a ransom of 1.2 million dollars was paid before he was released by the alleged kidnappers.

    Uduji told the court that the ransom was paid in three instalments by his brothers, adding that he was released eight days after the ransom was paid.

    The witness was cross-examined by all the defendants’ counsel, Mr Olarewaju Ajanaku who represented Evans, Mr Ogedi Ogu who represented the second defenant and Mr Emmanuel Ochai for the fourth defendant.

    Ajanaku observed that the specific date when Uduji was released from the kidnappers was not mentioned in the statement he made at the police station.

    He also stated that the date which the witness told the court that he made the statement at the police station was different from the date contained in the statement.

    Read Also: Judge angry over delay in Evans’ trial

    According to the charge, the defendants also allegedly fired shots at Mr Donatus Nwoye which hit him on the hand.
    The court heard that they also shot Jereome Okezie, Uduji’s driver, on the hand and head.

    At the conclusion of Uduji’s testimony, the prosecution called Jerome Okezie, as its second witness.
    Okezie testified that he sustained bullet wounds from the kidnappers’ gun shots, adding that he pretended to be dead after he was shot.

    He said he was taken to the hospital by some people after the kidnappers took his boss away.

    The offences, according to the prosecution, contravened Sections 230 (a) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    Justice Akintoye adjourned further proceedings till September 17.

  • Again, Evans fails to stop trial

    A Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere on Tuesday dismissed another application by suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a Evans, seeking to stop his fifth arraignment.

    Justice Adedayo Akintoye upheld the argument of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Titilayo Shitta-Bey, that a prima facie case has been established against the defendant.

    The judge held that Evans’ claim that the five-count charge of conspiracy, kidnapping and attempted murder, was “grossly defective, repetitive and an abuse of court processes” lacks merit.

    The defendant’s application to quash the charge was made on May 25, through his former counsel, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, who withdrew his representation on June 13, citing personal reasons.

    Ogungbeje was replaced by Mr. Noel Brown, who announced his appearance for Evans.

    Read Also: Evans abandoned as lawyer withdraws from kidnap cases

    Following Justice Akintoye’s ruling, Evans and his co-defendants, Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba, were arraigned by the state government.

    According to the charge, the defendants and others at large committed the offences on September 7, 2015, at Seventh Avenue, Festac Town, Lagos.

    The allegedly conspired and kidnapped Chief James Uduji, collected a ransom of $1.2 million and shot him on the shoulder while trying to kill him.

    They also allegedly fired shots at Mr. Donatus Nwoye which hit him on the hand.

    The court heard that they also shot Mr. Jereome Okezie on the hand and head.

    The offences, according to the prosecution, contravened Sections 230 (a) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The defendants all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Justice Akintoye remanded the defendants in prison and adjourned till September 13 for trial.

    Evans was arrested on June 10, 2017 in his Magodo, Lagos, mansion.

    He is facing five different charges before three Lagos High Court judges, Justice Hakeem Oshodi, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo and Justice Adedayo Akintoye.

     

  • Again, Evans says court can’t try him

    Suspected billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans, on Friday asked a Lagos High Court in Igbosere to quash all the five charges filed against him by the Lagos State Government.
    Evans told Justice Adedayo Akintoye that his trial was an abuse of court processes because similar charges had been filed against him by the state at the Ikeja Division of the court.
    According to him, the law requires that all the cases must be consolidated and brought before one judge.
    His trial before Justice Akintoye is the fourth and fifth in a series of murder, attempted murder and kidnap charges brought against him by the state since his arrest last June 10 in his Magodo, Lagos mansion.
    But only two charges are before Justice Akintoye. Three multiple-count charges are before Justices Hakeem Oshodi and Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja High Court.

    Read Also: Video of Evans confession for kidnapping shown in court

    In the case before Justice Akintoye, Evans and three others are facing a fresh five-count charge of conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder.
    His co-defendants are: Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.
    In the second charge, Evans, Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba are facing similar counts.
    At the resumed hearing of the case yesterday, Evans’ counsel, Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje, argued that all the charges were “grossly defective, repetitive and an abuse of court processes”.
    Ogungbeje said: “Apart from the counts being of same offence, same section of the law (Section 153 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) is being provided in these counts.
    “I submit that the prosecution misfired by bringing different charges and instituting the same case in different courts.
    “I urge Your Lordship to quash the charge because it is defective and an abuse of court process.”
    But Director for Public Prosecutions (DPP), Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, opposed him.
    She said: “The general rule is that every offence must be in a separate count.”
    Shitta-Bey stated that the first defendant was charged with attempt to murder Chief James Udoji in count three, while in count four, he was charged with attempt to murder Mr Donald Nwonye.
    “It will be against the provisions of the law to lump the two offences in one count,” she added.
    Shitta-Bey further explained that other charges filed against the first defendant before other judges involved different defendants committing differnt offences against different victims at different locations and times.
    She urged the court to dismiss the application.
    Shitta-Bey also countered the application of the third defendant, Linus Okpara, in the second charge, which urged the court to quash the two-count charge preferred against him, on the ground that it disclosed no prima facie case.
    She said the proof of evidence disclosed where the third defendant admitted collecting the sum of N2 million for the first defendant in relation to one of the victims, Uche Okorafor.
    “I, therefore, urge the court to discountenance the third defendant’s argument,” the DPP said.
    Justuce Akintoye adjourned till June 26 for ruling.