Alleged notorious kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike popularly known as Evans on Tuesday denied making any statement to the police, detailing his career as a serial kidnapper.

Evans said this through his Counsel at the Ikeja High Court where he standing trial for charges bordering on kidnapping and conspiracy.
Evans made denial following an attempt by the State Prosecuting Counsel, Adebayo Haroun, to tender documents containing the statement of the 1st defendant (Evans) as exhibits before Justice Hakeem Oshodi.

Evans, through his new Defence Counsel, Mr Chino Obiagu, the purported statement was not written by him neither was it voluntarily made as claimed by the police.

Evans was arraigned alongside five members of his gang namely: Uchenna Amadi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Ogechi Uchechukwu (the only female among the gang) and two Ex-Army officers, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Chukwunonso Aduba.

Counsel to the 1st, 2nd,3rd,4th defendants, Obiagu argued that the statement sort to be tendered by the prosecutor was written by a policeman, Inspector Idowu Haruna attached to Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team.

Obiagu also objected to the tendering of a video clip, during trial within trial, showing Evans confessing to the crime at the police station on the grounds that it does not corroborate with Section 84 of the Evidence Act.

However, earlier during the proceeding, Inspector Haruna, said that he wrote the statement on behalf of Evans, after he was arrested on June 2017, because he claimed he didn’t complete Secondary school and therefore could not write well in English language.

Haruna, while being led in evidence, said that Evans and his gang members all volunteered their statements under caution after being charged with the offence of Criminal conspiracy and kidnapping.

Justice Oshodi thereafter adjourned the matter till October 26 for ruling on admissibility of documents and continuation of trial within trial.

• Excerpted from a Tribune report

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