The Lagos State government prosecution team on Wednesday showed clips of two video recordings showing kidnap suspect, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike aka Evans confessing to committing the atrocities for which he is being held.
In the video played before an Ikeja High Court, and marked as an exhibit, Evans confessed to carrying out operations within and outside Lagos.
In the video, Evans was seen casually smiling and answering questions thrown to him by Inspector Idowu Haruna. Evans is standing trial alongside Victor Aduba on four-counts of kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms.
The videos were played on the insistence of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, who sought to tender the two Compact Discs (CD) containing the confessions as evidence.
The videos were projected on the wall of the courtroom and showed Evans wearing a red T-shirt, seated on a leather sofa in a room and confessing his ‘crimes’ to Haruna.
Evans gave graphic details about his daytime and nighttime armed robberies of banks as well as his kidnapping escapades.
He even ‘claimed’ that he collected ransoms ranging from $250,000 to $1million from his victims.
Haruna, the prosecution’s first witness before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo in his evidence, identified himself as a policeman with 14-years experience in the Nigerian Police Force.
“I’m a member of the Inspector General of Police, Intelligence Response Team. I know the defendants from when they were arrested for the kidnap of one person on February 14, 2017.
“That victim was taken to their hideout in Igando, Lagos, and kept there for a month till he escaped from the hideout.
“Through covert operations, we arrested Evans and during interrogations he mentioned Victor Aduba.
“The first defendant (Evans) gave us information about the people he had kidnapped in Lagos and in other states.
“He confessed that on June 28, 2014, at Saka St., Amuwo-Odofin in Lagos, he was armed with an Ak47 gun and he kidnapped Mr. Sylvanus Ahamonu, and took him to their hideout in a danfo bus.
“After holding the victim for nine weeks, they contacted his family demanding $2million with the family agreeing to pay $420,000.
“The family paid the $420,000 instalmentally.
“After Sylvanus regained his freedom, he gave a statement to the police; his wife Mrs. Chinyemere Ahamonu who negotiated his release and his brother Dominic Ahamonu who dropped off the ransom all volunteered statements.
“The first defendant (Evans) was cautioned in English language and his statement recorded by our video recorder which took records of the interview.
“He was taken to DSP Phillip, a superior officer, and his statement was recorded,” he said.
The statements of Sylvanus, Chinyemere and Dominic were tendered in evidence in court by the DPP and the CD containing the confessions of Evans played in the courtroom.
Responding to the request by the DPP to admit the CDs as evidence, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, Evans defence counsel, requested for time to study the recordings and compare the copy of the CD served on them with what was played in court.
“My Lord, we will be requesting for time to call our technical experts to examine the CD played in court today, as well as the certificate of identification served on us in open court,” he said.
Earlier, during proceedings, Ogungbeje had brought an application challenging the amended charge. According to him, the additional evidence was insufficient to sustain the charge.
Dismissing Ogungbeje’s application, Justice Taiwo had in a ruling, said the application lacked merit.
The judge thereafter adjourned the case to April 23 and 27 for further hearing.
