Azeez Folorunso/
The Director of Prosecution in Lagos State, Mrs Titilayo Shitta-Bey, has raised the alarm over attempts to delay the trial of suspected kidnap-kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike aka Evans.
Mrs Shitta-Bey raised the alarm in her submission responding to Evan’s counsel, Olukoya Ogungbeje, who had filed an application asking the Court to quash the charges against the suspect.
Mrs Shitta-Bey said the amended charge was the rights of the prosecution, stressing that the amended information was resting on the same proof of evidence of previous charge.
She said: “The fresh application filed by the 1st defendant’s counsel contains the same elements as a former application which he had initially filed which the Court has ruled on. This fresh application is just a ploy to derail and frustrate the trial.”
In his response, Ogungbeje said : “My Lord, the prosecution are the ones delaying their case. The prosecution knows what we want. They have filed multiple charges, and even one of the charges they filed does not even have proof of evidence.”
He said that the basis of his applications before the Court was on the procedure applied by the prosecution in filing the charges against his client.
The presiding Judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, thereafter asked, “Mr. Ogungbeje what exactly do you want? I know that one day, one day we will hear this case.”
The Court subsequently adjourned the matter till March 21.
Evans, alongside three others are facing seven counts of conspiracy, attempted kidnapping, kidnapping, murder and attempted murder.
The second to fourth defendants are: Joseph Ikenna Emeka, Chiemeka Arinze and Udeme Frank Ukpong.
During proceedings, counsel to the second defendant, O. Ogwu brought an application asking the Court to dismiss the charges against his client. He argued that he had nothing to do with the victims of the crime.
Ogwu maintained that the purpoted statement made by his client had nothing to do with the charges for which his client was arraigned. He added that the same statement was used in another charge filed before Justice A. Akintoye of an Igbosere High Court.
Responding to Ogwu, Mrs Shitta-Bey read to the Court the confessional statement of the defendant. It reads in part: “I followed Evans to an operation in Festac but we didn’t succeed as we missed the target. I decided to go into kidnapping business when I was no longer making money in my business.”
Mrs Shitta-Bey then proceeded to explain to the Court that there is no law that prevents the prosecution from using the same confessional statement in two different charges.
“We have proven a prima facia case against the second defendant and we urge the court to dismiss the application,” she said.
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