Alleged billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, has maintained his claim that he was tortured by the Police to make what they term his confessional statement.

He countered the claim by the Police that his statement was obtained under a fair atmosphere, and that the statement could have been taken in the presence of a lawyer, if Evans had hired one.

At the Friday proceedings in his trial before Justice Adedayo Akintoye at the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere, Evans said human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), at the time, came to the Police station to see him, but the Police thwarted the meeting by locking him (Evans) up in a toilet.

Evans said immediately after he was arrested by the Police in 2017, his wife, Uchenna, contacted the human rights lawyer, but upon the lawyer’s visit to the Police station, he was told that he (Evans) had been taken out for investigation.

Evans claimed to have heard, from inside the toilet where he was allegedly locked up, how Falana and the Lagos Coordinator of the Inspector-General of Police Response Team, one CSP Phillip, exchanged pleasantries upon the lawyer’s arrival at Phillip’s office.

He said after being told that he had been taken out for investigation, Falana warned the Police not to come back and claim that the suspect had been shot while trying to escape.

Led in evidence by his lawyer, Mr. Olanrewaju Ajanaku, Evans, who was all tears, insisted that he was forced to put his signature to an already prepared confessional statement by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad who had allegedly murdered several suspects in his presence “in Saddam Hussein style.”

He said, “Immediately after my arrest, my wife called Mr. Femi Falana and he came to SARS.

“But CSP Phillip told two armed policemen to hide me inside the office toilet and to tell the lawyer that I was not around.

“I heard Phillip greet him, ‘Good afternoon, sir,’ and Mr. Falana said he wanted to see me. CSP Phillip told Mr. Falana that I had been taken out for investigation.

“Mr. Falana warned him that he did not want to hear that I had been taken for investigation only to be shot dead.

“He said he didn’t want to hear that I was trying to escape and then I was shot dead. He told them that if I had committed any offence, I should be charged to court.”

Under cross-examination by the prosecuting counsel for the state, Mr. Y.G. Oshoala, Evans maintained that his statement was not voluntarily made.

Justice Akintoye adjourned further proceedings in the case till December 10.

•Sourced from a Punch report

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