Kidnap Kingpin Evans Sentenced To Life Imprisonment

A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced kidnap kingpin, Chukuwuememe Onwuamadike, known as Evans to life imprisonment.

Justice Hakeem Oshodi found him and two other members of his gang guilty of conspiracy and kidnapping

The other convicts are Uche Amadi and Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu.

The judge held that the prosecution had successfully proven the charge against the three convicts beyond a reasonable doubt.

Justice Oshodi stated that the evidence tendered before the court especially the videos collaborated the guilt of the convicts.

The court, however, discharged and acquitted Ogechi Uchechukwu and two former soldiers of the Nigerian Army, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba for lack of sufficient evidence linking them to the crime.

The defendants had earlier denied a two-count charge of kidnapping and conspiracy preferred against them.

The Lagos State Government had re-arraigned the defendants on 19th October, 2017.

Evans and his co-Defendants – Uche Amadi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba, are accused of kidnaping of Mr Donatus Dunu, the Managing Director of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd on February 14, 2017.

Earlier after conviction, the judge had disagreed with the plea for the court to temper justice with mercy of the defence counsels, Mr. Olanrewaju Ajanaku and Mr Haruna Ajibola that the convicts are first time offenders, are remorseful and learnt their lesson.

He held that they are unrepentant and they comfortably lied to the court.

The trial judge also noted the submission of the former DPP, Ms Titi Shitta-Bey that in view of the gravity of the offence and that kidnapping has been on the rise, that maximum sentence be imposed to serve as deterrence to others.

The court held that under the section 411 of the law on which the convicts were arraigned, the penalty for the offence of kidnapping is life imprisonment and the law does not give the court any discretion in the matter.