Notorious
kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a Evans and his five accomplices
were yesterday arraigned before a Lagos High Court, Ikeja presided over
by Justice Hakeem Oshodi on two count charge of conspiracy and
kidnapping.
While Evans, Uche Amadi and Okwuchukwu
Nwachukwu pleaded guilty, Ogechi Uchechukwu, ChilakaIfeanyi and Victor
Chukwunonso Aduba, pleaded not guilty.
However, Evan’s lawyer, Olukoya
Ogungbeje, alleged that his client was forced to plead guilty to the
charges preferred against him and others by the Lagos State Government.
Ogungbeje, who has been representing him
in his N300 million fundamental rights suit against the police, said his
client may have pleaded guilty under duress or after heavy
brainwashing. He said: “The law must take its full course and the coming
days will determine the way the matter will go. But we must put it in
record that we were not allowed access to our client by the police. It
was this morning that we had time to talk with him. By law, we need time
to go through the accusations and prepare our defence or even decide
whether we can defend him.”
However, the Attorney General Lagos
State, Kazeem Adeniji, who was in court told journalists that he was
satisfied with the proceedings. He said that while the court would
continue with the trial of the three that pleaded not guilty, the
evidence of the others who pleaded guilty would be presented before them
before the court will determine their conviction and sentencing.
On his part, the head of legal team,
Police Commissioner’s office, David Igbodo, said more charges would
follow between now and October 19, the adjourned date. According to him,
it was one, out of the 10 files submitted by the investigation that the
police IG approved the two charges filed in the court.
The six accused persons entered the court
under protection of heavy security at 8. 56 a.m. After the proceedings,
a heavy crowd awaited the departure of the defendants who were shielded
from journalists.
The IGP team, led by Mr. Abba Kyari,
arrested Evans three months ago through the efforts of three women
suspected to be the kingpin’s girlfriends namely; Amaka, Ijeoma and
Ngozi.
The operatives were said to have
discovered that Evans was very close to Amaka and he rented an apartment
for her in Okota area of Lagos State.
On discovering that Evans was sleeping in
Amaka’s house on a regular basis, they decided to use her to lure him
but the kingpin on perceiving that Amaka had been arrested by the police
avoided her as much as he could.
Luck, however, ran out on him as an
informant in Magodo informed the police that he had located Evans’
apartment. Evans, according to the report, was very elusive as he was
aware that the police were on to him.
According to the source, Evans, who was unaware that that police operatives had located his Magodo apartment, contacted Amaka.
The source said: “He was said to have
called her on the phone around 4:15am, without knowing that some
policemen were with her and asked her to wait outside her compound to
meet him.
“She reportedly joined him later at the
spot and as soon as she got into the car, he attacked her, threatening
to kill her for not informing him about the police presence in her
house.
“Evans was said to be angry and drove
away with her in his Grand Cherokee SUV and they had an accident at
Iyana-Ipaja area where he abandoned the vehicle, seized Amaka’s phone
and asked her to go home.
“It was from there that he picked a cab
to his residence at Magodo to pick some few things towards traveling out
of the country. Thereafter, we swooped on him and arrested him inside
his bedroom.”
Ogungbeje statement
“After the purported guilty plea of our
client and the court rose. We stressed to have brief discussion time
with our client and ‘he told us clearly that the police told him to plea
guilty failure to which the police would kill him.
“This is definitely unconstitutional and
we intend to challenge the procedure for hoodwink, undue influence,
brainwashing and coercing on an accused into entering a guilty plea
against his wish and freewill.
“He pointedly told us that being informed
now, he will change his ‘police motivated guilty plea’ to ‘not guilty’
at the next adjourned date.
“It is settled law that plea of guilty must be made voluntary and direct devoid of any influence, coercion and manipulation.
“In the meantime, after our brief
conferring with our client in open court, he made it known to us that he
will change his police motivated guilty plea to not guilty at the next
adjourned date. We have a responsibility to assist the cause of justice
in accordance with the law.”