Suspected super kidnapper, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike aka Evan has denied being a kidnapper, claiming that he is a dealer in ornaments and Horlicks.
Evans is standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba over the alleged kidnap of Donatus Dunu, the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Ltd, whose family he allegedly collected N100 million ransom for his release.
All the defendants who were first arraigned on August 30, 2017, on two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping, have similarly claimed innocence.
Led in evidence by his defense counsel Victor Okpara on August 3, Evans denied all allegations of kidnapping leveled against him by the Lagos State government, insisting that he does genuine business.
Claiming that he was coerced into admitting being a kidnapper after the police in a bid to make him confess, extra-judicially killed four persons in his presence, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike also disclaimed the ‘Evans’ moniker.
He said; “I live at Fred Shoboyede Street, Magodo Phase II, Lagos. I am a businessman and I deal in ornaments and Horlicks.
“My lord, my name is not Evans and I don’t have a nickname.”
Ifeanyi and Aduba, two former soldiers of the Nigerian Army who also testified on Tuesday, denied being accomplices to the crime.
Aduba recounted refusing to sign a written statement admitting to the crime after allegedly being ordered to do so by one Idowu Haruna, said to be a member of the police intelligence response team (IRT). He also showed the court an injury on his body, claiming he was taken to a “theatre” where he was beaten and cut with a machete by Haruna.
Aduba also recalled how three men – Felix Chinemeren, Paul Samyan and Chukwuma Nwosu- who were initially paraded before the media as kidnappers, were killed by members of the IRT.
He said: “I was still being told to sign some papers but I refused and I said if I refuse I will travel (slang for killed). At that point, Idowu Haruna brought out his phone for me to look at some pictures.
“When I looked at it, I discovered it was the dead bodies of the three men with whom I was in custody. That was how I was forced to sign the papers.”
As the defence team of Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike and that of his five co-defendants closed their case before the Ikeja high court, Justice Hakeem Oshodi gave the defence 30 days to file their final written addresses.
The prosecution was given another 30 days to respond to the final written addresses of the defence.
The case was adjourned to November 5 for adoption of the final written addresses.