UPDATED: Kidnap kingpin, Evans, two others sentenced to life in prison

Billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, two others – Uchenna Amadi and Okuchuwkwu Nwachukwu, were on Friday awarded life imprisonment by the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja.

Justice Hakeem Oshodi handed out the sentence to the trio  after convicting them on two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping of a businessman, Donatus Duru.

The victim is the Managing Director of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

In convicting the trio, Justice Oshodi held that the prosecution had successfully proved the charge against them beyond a reasonable doubt.

Reaching his verdict on Evans, the judge held that he observed the demeanour of the witness, adding that in some of the confessional videos played in court, Evans had mentioned some of the other defendants and the roles they played in the crime.

“He was seen freely laughing and willingly answered questions. A close look at his body shows no sign of torture. He did not look unkempt. He is seen laughing even when he was told that he must be a rich kidnapper.

“He showed no remorse in the dock and tried to lie his way out of the crimes despite the video evidence”, Justice Oshodi said.

He, however concluded that the evidence tendered before the court especially their video confessions corroborated their guilt.

The court also 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.

It would be recalled that the Lagos State government had arraigned Evans alongside Uche Amadi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, and Victor Aduba for allegedly kidnapping the Managing Director of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Limited, Donatus Dunu, on February 14, 2017.

The state had claimed that the convicts committed the alleged offence between February 14 and April 12, 2017.

The prosecution had further told the court that the incident took place at about 7:45 pm, along Obokun Street, in the Ilupeju area of Lagos.

The prosecution told the court that on April 12, Evans alongside the other five defendants while armed with guns and other weapons captured, detained and collected a ransom of 223,000 euros from Donatus for his release.

The Lagos State government subsequently arraigned the defendants before the court in August 2017.

In all, the prosecution presented four witnesses, including the victim, Dunu while the defence presented six witnesses including Evans who testified in his own defence.

Evans is also facing similar charges before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo and Justice Adedayo Akintoye of the same court.