Kidnap Kingpin, Evans Asks Court To Quash Suit Against Him

Kdnap Kingpin, Evans

Suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a Evans, on Wednesday asked a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere to quash the two separate charges filed against him by the Lagos State Government, bordering on conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder.

Evans is charged alongside three others – Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba while in the second charge, he is charged alongside Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba.

At the resumed hearing of the case on Wednesday, Evans’ lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, told the court that he had filed a motion on notice to quash all the charges filed against his client.

Ogungbeje said that ‎all the charges and the proof of evidence before the court did not establish any prima facie case against Evans, saying, all the charges were “grossly defective, incompetent and constituted an abuse of court processes”.

“It will be in the interest of justice if all the two separate charges are quashed and the defendant is accordingly discharged,” he said.

He added that the two separate charges were brought in bad faith to “harass, oppress, hound, frustrate, vex and intimidate the first defendant.”

He said that the prosecution had earlier filed similar charges and amended charges bordering on kidnapping against the same first defendant pending before the same High Court of Lagos State.

‎In her response to the motion, the State Director for Public Prosecutions (DPP), Titilayo Shitta-Bey, said there was enough evidence that showed the first defendant committed the offences brought before the court and urged the court to dismiss the application.

Ms. Shitta-Bey said that the first defendant (Evans) was charged with the offence of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping of one Uche Okereafor.

“This particular charge is premised on Evans involvement in the kidnapping of Okereafor and collecting ransom in the sum of two million dollars from his family,” she said.

She added that other charges filed against Evans before other judges involved different defendants, different offences and different victims.

Meanwhile, the second defendant, Joseph Emeka, has urged the court in a motion on notice to quash the two-count charge preferred against him, saying the proof of evidence did not show any prima facie case against him.

Also, the counsel to the fourth defendant, Emmanuel Ochai, urged the court the quash the charges against him.

Judge Adedayo Akintoye, therefore, adjourned the case till March 22 for further hearing.