Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court has fixed September 19, 2022, to deliver judgment on the kidnapping allegations made against suspected kidnap merchant, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans.
The judge took the decision after the parties adopted their final written addresses.
Adopting his final addresses, Emmanuel Ochai, counsel to Evans, called for an inquiry into the death of three witnesses in police custody during the trial of the kidnap kingpin.
Ochai also told the court that the three witnesses which were standing trial with the two died in police custody and that no autopsy was done to reveal the circumstances of their deaths.
He added that the fact that they died in custody whereas they were hale and hearty when they were arrested by the police raises serious questions about the confessional statements obtained from the leader of the gang.
Ochai also notified Justice Taiwo that the prosecution has failed in several areas to prove the case against Evans and his colleague beyond a reasonable doubt, and urged the court to discharge and acquit them.
In a counter-reaction, the prosecuting counsel, Yusuf Sule asked that the first and second defendants be convicted accordingly.
Sule argued that a defendant need not be seen at the scene of the crime to be convicted, stressing that though the confession of one person cannot be used against another person, there are exemptions, where the nexus correlates and interwoven, quoting a Supreme Court judgment.
The defence lawyer maintained that there is nothing before the court that showed they were tortured or killed. According to him, “No evidence to suggest that. No evidence before the court that they were hailed and hearty at the time of the arrest.
Evans is standing trial alongside Aduba, an ex-soldier, for kidnapping a businessman, Sylvanus Ahamonu and collecting a 420,000 dollars ransom from his family.
The duo were dragged before Justice Taiwo on a four-count charge bordering on kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms.
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