'Invicible' Evans Thought He'd Never Be Arrested - Close Friend Reveals In Lagos Court
A Police Inspector, Idowu Haruna, has told an Igbosere High Court
in Lagos that the suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike,
known as Evans, volunteered his statement to the police.
Mr Haruna, a prosecution witness, said this while he was testifying before court on Wednesday.
The witness said that Evans gave his statement voluntarily and not under duress or torture by the police.
He said Evans’ statement which was obtained on June 26, 2017 at 2
p.m at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) office, Ikeja, was recorded
in a conducive environment.
Mr Haruna, who was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Jide
Martin, said Evans volunteered his statement which was recorded by
Kingsley Harold, a police inspector.
The witness said: “I and the defendant have been close friends
since his arrest and on the day he was arrested at his Magodo residence,
he said ‘Oh God I never knew a day like this will come.”
Evans is facing two separate charges bordering on conspiracy to
kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder before Justice Adedayo Akintoye.
In the first charge, Evans is standing trial alongside Joseph
Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba and in the second charge, he
is standing trial alongside Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor
Aduba.
He said he narrated how he and his accomplices kidnapped Godwin Okorafor.
He added that the suspected kidnap kingpin also gave statement on how ransom was demanded from the victim he kidnapped.
Mr Haruna also stated that their superior officer, Philips
Benjamin, a chief superintendent of police, read the statement to Evans
to ascertain that he gave the statement willingly without torture and
was attested to by same officer.
The witness said an attestation form was signed by Mr Benjamin and the defendant.
He also said an Investigative Police Officer, Adesuyi, made a video recording which he burnt into a disc and certified it.
Mr Martins tendered all the documents before the court.
During cross-examination, all the defence counsel objected to the
playing of the video recording, stating that no proper foundation had
been made on the CD.
Evans’ counsel, Chino Obiagwu (SAN), said the document sought to be
tendered was produced on November 15, 2017 after proceedings on the
case had commenced.
“This document was produced after the charges have been filed
and the IPO, who recorded the video, is not in court to be cross
examined on the said video”, he said.
Earlier a, medical doctor, Samuel Oyemakinde, a consultant
radiologist from Paramount Life Care Diagnosis Centre had in the first
charge tendered a medical report and an X-ray result, showing that James
Uduji, sustained gunshot wound.
He said that Mr Uduji who walked into the diagnosis centre in 2015,
and met with the then medical director, Dr Uwoku, based on his history
of gunshots and was told to do a chest x-ray.
Mr Oyemakinde said there was “a linear foreign body lodged in the upper left lung zone which is assumed to be a metallic bullet sheet”.
The witness was subpoenaed by the court on September 25 to give evidence on the gunshot wound sustained by the victim.
Mr Akintoye adjourned until November 2 for continuation of trial.
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