By ADENIKE AYODELE

An Ikeja High Court on Thursday adjourned till March 20 to hear a plea bargain agreement filed by the convicted kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (alias Evans).

Justice Adenike Coker adjourned the case after Evans and his co-defendant, Joseph Emeka, were re-arraigned.

The duo were re-arraigned on an amended five-count charge bordering on murder, attempt to murder and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

They pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

The State Counsel, Mr Yusuf Sule, who had informed the court that the case was starting de-novo, prayed for further remand of the defendants.

He also informed the court that the defendants had applied for plea bargain through their counsel.

Evans? counsel, Mr Emefo Etudo, and his co-defendants? counsel, Ms Catherine Udeh, did not object to the remand application.

Etudo said that Evans was receiving education while in custody.

?We are not really defence counsel. We were asked to come and plead for date.

?Our primary concern is to pursue the plea bargain application with the Lagos State Government on behalf of the defendants.

?The Federal Government has given the first defendant a second chance by awarding him a scholarship.

?Evans bagged NCE, and his ambition is to take up a PHD.

?If Evans is given a second chance, he will not misuse it,? Etudo said.

The prosecution responded that it was left for the committee on plea bargain to look into the application.

Justice Coker acknowledged the receipt of Evans? plea bargain application.

She said that the defence counsel gave his client a good advice by seeking plea bargain over his outstanding cases.

Coker, thereafter, adjourned the case until March 20 for report on the plea bargain application.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court had on Nov. 21, 2024, said that the Lagos State Office of Public Defender (OPD) might represent Evans due to the absence of his counsel on several adjourned dates.

NAN also reports that the prosecution had on May 11, 2024, informed the court that the defendants had applied for plea bargain agreement.

The prosecutor, however, said the plea bargain terms were been considered by the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN).

NAN also reports that Evans was convicted and jailed for extensive kidnap activities.

In February 2022, an Ikeja High Court Judge, Hakeem Oshodi, sentenced him to life imprisonment for the kidnap of Chief Donatus Dunu, the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

In September 2022, another judge of the court, Oluwatoyin Taiwo (now retired), sentenced Evans to 21 years imprisonment for kidnapping a businessman, Chief Slyvanus Ahamonu, and collecting $420,000 as ransom from his family.

Evans is still standing trial in two other kidnapping cases. (NAN)

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