Suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a Evans, on Wednesday, February 28 asked a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere to subdue the two separate charges documented against him by the Lagos State Government. The Lagos state government had brought a new five-count charge verging on conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder against Evans and three others. Evans is charged alongside Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba. While on the second count, Evans is being tried alongside Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba.
At the continued hearing about the case on Wednesday, counsel to the main defendant, Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje educated the court that he had recorded a motion on notice to subdue all the charge documented against the primary defendant (Evans).
In the motion on sight, Ogungbeje said that all the charges and the confirmation of proof under the steady gaze of the court did not set up any by all appearances body of evidence against the main respondent.
He also said that all the charges were
“grossly defective, incompetent and constituted an abuse of court processes”.He expressed that the indictment had before documented comparative charges and revised charges verging on grabbing against a similar first respondent pending under the watchful eye of a similar High Court of Lagos State.
He averred that the two separate charges were brought in bad faith to “harass, oppress, hound, frustrate, vex and intimidate the first defendant.”
“It will be in the interest of justice if all the two separate charges are quashed and the defendant is accordingly discharged.”Ogungbeje, however encouraged the court to adopt the certainties as expressed in the affirmation in help of the movement on take note. In her reaction to the movement, the State Director for Public Prosecutions (DPP), Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, said there was adequate verification and proof connecting the primary litigant to the offenses brought under the steady gaze of the court.
She,therefore, asked the court to reject the application. Shitta-Bey said that the main litigant was accused of the offense of connivance to confer kidnap and kidnapping of one Uche Okereafor. She likewise said that different charges recorded against the main litigant under the watchful eye of different judges included diverse respondents, distinctive offenses and diverse casualties.
“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.”The DPP encouraged the court to cancel the accommodation of the principal defendant as it constituted assessments, conclusions and contention in opposition to Section 115 of the Evidence Act. In the interim, the second respondent, Joseph Emeka has encouraged the court in a movement on notice to suppress the two-count charge favored as a detriment to him. He said the verification of proof did not unveil any at first sight argument against him. Be that as it may, the direction to the fourth respondent Emmanuel Ochai, adjusted himself to the accommodation and contentions of the first and second defendants’s counsel. Justice Adedayo Akintoye, after listening to all the arguments, deferred the case until March 22 for decision.
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