By Deborah Hassan
365Daily– Kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a High Court.
He was found guilty of the kidnap of Mr Donatius Dunu, the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd. on Friday, February 25, 2022.
The presiding judge, Justice Hakeem Oshodi, also sentenced Evans’s two co-defendants; Uche Amadi and Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, to life imprisonment for the same offences.
The judge, however, discharged and acquitted the other co-defendants, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, an ex-soldier; and Victor Aduba, also an ex-soldier.
They were both acquitted due to a lack of evidence linking them to the crimes.
Sentencing the convicts, Oshodi said that they did not show any remorse for their crimes and had tried to “lie their way out of the charges” during the trial.
Oshodi noted that the Kidnapping Prohibition Law of Lagos State prescribed a mandatory life sentence for any individual found guilty of kidnapping.
“A lesson must be taught. In this respect, the law is the law which must be upheld.
“The first, second and fourth defendants- Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike a.k.a Evans, Uche Amadi and Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, are each hereby sentenced to life imprisonment.
“This is the sentence of the court,” he said.
Evans is facing five kidnapping trials in various Lagos High Courts and the lighter sentence is just one of several judgements.
The defendants were arraigned before Oshodi on August 31, 2017, on a two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping.
According prosecution, Dunu was kidnapped on February 14, 2016, on Obokun Street, Ilupeju Road, Lagos.
He was shackled and blindfolded during his 88-day ordeal, and the convicts collected 223,000 euros as ransom from his family for his release.
The prosecution closed its on January 10, 2020, after presenting four witnesses including Dunu.
Defence closed its case on August 3, 2021, after the six defendants and Evans’s sister, Mrs Ndubuisi Obiechina, testified.
The offences are in violation of Section 2(1) of the Kidnapping Prohibition Law, No. 13, Laws of Lagos State, 2017.