13th November, 2017
Akin Kuponiyi
The arraignment of suspected, billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a Evans, on two separate charges before Justice Adedayo Akintoye a Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria was on Monday stalled, due to the fact that the prosecutor is yet , to effect service of the charge on defendants counsel.
Evans was charge alongside Joseph Ikenna Emeka, Victor Aduba and Okapara Linus.
The defendants are being charged with five count charges bordering on conspiracy to kidnapping, kidnapping and attempted murder, preferred against them by Lagos State Government.
The offences committed which are Conspiracy is contrary to section 411 criminal law Cap C 17, Vol 13, of Lagos State 2015, Kidnapping contrary to section 271 (3) and counts three to five, attempted murder are contrary to section 230 (A) Cap C17, of the criminal law of Lagos state 2015.
The third defendant’s counsel Emmanuel Ochai, was absent, while the fourth defendant Okpara Linus had no legal representation.
Evan’s lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje and the second defendant’s counsel O. Ogu, informed the court that he has not been served with the information, while Ogungbeje said that he was only served with one of the information contained in the charge.
The Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, DPP,TitilayoShitta-Bey told the court that she had filed a fresh and an amended information, and had served the information on the first defendant’s counsel Olukoya Ogungbeje, but that she was yet to serve the other defendants’s counsel.
Shitta-Bey said furher that ” The amended charge is the fourth defendant that was added in this fresh charge is Okpara Linus, we only want to bring the information before the court so that he can be remanded in prison in view of the fact that we have not served the other counsel.”
On the second charge Evans, was charged alongside Joseph Ikenna Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.
They are being charged on two-count charges bordering on conspiracy to kidnapping contrary to section 411, Cap C17, Vol 3 of the criminal law of Lagos state 2015 and kidnapping contrary to section 271 (3), of the criminal law of Lagos state 2015.
The first defendant’s counsel Ogungbeje who is also representing the third defendant Nwachukwu, told the court that the information that was served on him by the prosecutor doesn’t have the name of the third defendant.
Ogungbeje said” The information I have doesn’t bear the name of the third defendant, the prosecution should give me every information that is needful and available.”
While responding, to the argument of Ogungbeje, the prosecutor Shitta-Bey said this information has been served on the defendants themselves before their lawyers came into the matter.
“We are going to give him every available information, we would serve everybody,” she stated.
Meanwhile Justice Akintoye, ordered the prosecution to serve the defence counsel with all the necessary information before the next adjourned date.
She also ordered the third defendant Victor Abuba, in the first charge should make sure that his lawyer appears in court on the next adjourned date, while asking the fourth defendant Okpara Linus to also come with his lawyer, otherwise the court will provide him with a lawyer.
Akintoye ordered that the defendants in the two separate charges be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the two cases, to November 24, 2017.for arraignment.