By Francis IWUCHUKWU
Justice Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court on Friday reserved judgment till February 25, 2022, in the case of alleged conspiracy and kidnapping slammed against suspected billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (alias Evans) alongside others.
Others charged with Evans are Uche Amadi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba.
They were accused of kidnapping Donatus Dunu, the Managing Director of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Limited on February 14, 2017.
Evans is facing trial alongside diverse co-defendants before Justices Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court, Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court, and Adedayo Akintoye of an Igbosere High Court.
The judgment date was arrived at after Justice Oshodi entertained oral submissions of final written addresses by the prosecution and defence counsel.
In making his oral submissions, Opara (SAN), asked the court to acquit and discharge Evans of the two-count charge before it.
In a final written address dated November 1, 2021, Opara had said there was no direct evidence linking Evans to the alleged crimes.
The SAN told the court that Dunu, the alleged kidnap victim, said to be blindfolded throughout his 88-day ordeal, did not state to the court in his testimony, that he could physically identify Evans.
“There is also the fatality of the prosecution’s case that there was no identification parade to identify the first defendant (Evans).
“There was no evidence before your lordship to show that PW2 (Dunu) had a clear opportunity of identifying the first defendant,” the SAN said.
On his part, the lead prosecution counsel, Adebayo Haroun, through a final written address dated November 30, had asked the court to convict the defendants as charged.
On Evans, he said: “When a man has confessed to the crime, you do not need an identification parade.
“There is direct evidence of PW2 (Dunu) testifying of how he was kidnapped, how he escaped, and the roles the defendants, each, played.
“We have circumstantial evidence linking the first defendant (Evans) to the crime, and we also have confessional statements and video recordings of him.
“We urge your lordship to convict the defendants as charged.”
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Oshodi on August 31, 2017, on a two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping.
According to the prosecution, Dunu was kidnapped on Ilupeju Road, Lagos State, and the defendants collected 223,000 Euros as ransom from his family.
The prosecution closed its case against the defendants on Jan. 10, 2020, after presenting four witnesses, including Dunu, and the defence also closed its case on August 3, 2020, after the six defendants testified.
Whilst their trial lasted, all the defendants insisted that they were not guilty.
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