Billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme
Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to
charges of conspiracy and kidnapping before a judge of the Ikeja High
Court.
Evans alongside five of his other
accomplices were arraigned before the court on two counts bordering on
conspiracy and kidnapping.
The judge ordered that all the male
defendants be remanded at Kirikiri Maximum Prison while the female
defendant, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges, be kept at the
Kirikiri Female Prison.
The judge further adjourned the case till October 19.
Yesterday, a Lagos Division of the
Federal High Court adjourned till September 5 to hear arguments from
Evan’s lawyer and police lawyers on why he should not deliver
judgment on the fundamental rights application brought by Evans.
Justice Abdulaziz Anka had initially
fixed Tuesday to deliver judgment on the suit but a lawyer to the
Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force, David Igbodo –
who appeared for the first time since the hearing began – said he had
filed a counter affidavit before the court.
“It will be an injustice for judgment to be delivered without hearing our own side,” Mr. Igbodo, Commissioner of Police (Legal Section), said.
It was earlier gathered that
Evans may be sentenced to death or get life imprisonment after the Lagos
state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode signed into law, the state
kidnapping prohibition bill, 2016 which prescribes life imprisonment or
death penalty for the offence of Kidnapping and forceful extortion in
Lagos State.
Literally, the bill – which was passed
by the Lagos State House of Assembly on January 5 – provides death
penalty for kidnappers whose victims die in their custody, and life
imprisonment for the act of kidnapping.
Speaking on it, the governor said that the law was enacted to address key issues bordering on security.
He said that kidnapping had become a
major threat to the safety of residents and, therefore, required
decisive action by the government.
No comments:
Post a Comment