Kidnapping: Evans won’t escape justice, Lagos insists

Billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike popularly known as Evans, who is still in the custody of the police, will not escape justice, the Lagos State government has insisted.

Evans was arrested at his multi-million naira mansion in Magodo area of Lagos in June 2017, for alleged involvement in high profile kidnap cases in which victims reportedly paid billions of naira ransom to secure their freedom. The kidnap kingpin alongside members of his vicious gangs also reportedly demanded and got ransom in the US Dollars from their victims.

Among the several kidnap victims linked to Evans’ exploits while he held sway included Mbarikatta William Uboma, 35, kidnapped June 16, 2012 on his arrival from Hungary; Paul Cole, 34, from Ohafia in Abia State; Mohammed Jamal, 22, a Lebanese, kidnapped on August 19, 2012 at Ajah; Kingsley Nwokenta, 34, kidnapped September 19, 2012 after he left Lebanana Bar in Festac at Mile two under bridge; Anthony Ozoanidobi, 41, kidnapped in October 10, 2012 along Marwa Road, Satellite Town.

Since his arrest last year, Evans has been in and out court, but the wheel of justice seems to have been very slow, as kidnap kingpin who first admitted guilt, later recanted, and pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges preferred against him by the state.

Adeniji Kazeem, the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, who gave an update on the case, at a media briefing on Thursday, said there was no going back on the prosecution, insisting that justice the case would be prosecuted to its logical conclusion.

“On the Evans’ matter, the cases filed against him are ongoing in court. The issue is that the lawyer representing him is trying to play some games to delay the matter but in all his games, we have been defeating him in court.

“We have filed different cases. Some are for kidnapping and some bordered on murder and his lawyer is fighting all the cases but what I can assure the people is that we are committed to ensuring the matter is concluded and defeat him at the end of the day,” Kazeem said.

Speaking on another high profile cases including the collapse of Synagogue Church building in which over people died in 2014, Kazeem said the was progressing in court. He noted that a no case submission filed by the counsel to the accused was recently dismissed by in court, while the General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, also known as ‘Reverend King’ who is presently on death row, would have his fate determined in due course.

JOSHUA BASSEY