K!dnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, and two others, have been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Lagos High Court in Ikeja.
The two other co-k!dnappers are Uchenna Amadi and Okuchuwkwu Nwachukwu.
Justice Hakeem Oshodi sentenced the trio on Friday, February 25, after convicting them on two counts of conspiracy and k!dnapping of a businessman, Donatus Duru.
In convicting the trio, Justice Oshodi held that the prosecution had successfully proved the charge against them beyond a reasonable doubt.
In reaching his verdict on Evans, the judge held that he observed the demeanour of the witness, stating that in some of the confessional videos played in court, Evans had mentioned some of the other defendants and the roles they played in the crime.
“He was seen freely laughing and willingly answered questions. A close look at his body shows no sign of to#ture. He did not look unkempt. He is seen laughing even when he was told that he must be a rich k!dnapper.
He showed no remorse in the dock and tried to lie his way out of the crimes despite the video evidence,” the Judge said. Adding that the evidence tendered before the court especially their video confessions corroborated their guilt.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted Ogechi Uchechukwu and two former soldiers of the Nigerian Army, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba, for lack of sufficient evidence linking them to the crime.
