Re-Arraignment of Billionaire Kidnapper Evans Postponed Due to Lawyer’s No-Show
The re-arraignment of convicted kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, also known as Evans, was once again delayed on Thursday at the Lagos State High Court due to the absence of his legal counsel. Justice Adenike Coker, presiding over the case, inquired about the whereabouts of Evans’ lawyer, to which Evans replied that he was uncertain whether his attorney would appear.
Evans, along with his co-defendant Joseph Emeka, faces an amended five-count charge, including accusations of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit felony with kidnapping, and further attempts to kill. Justice Coker, concerned about the absence, then turned to the counsel for the second defendant, Nelson Onyejaka, to shed light on the situation. Onyejaka informed the court that he had attempted to contact Evans’ lawyer several times but was unable to reach him, noting that the attorney was not based in Lagos.
“Your Lordship, I attempted to reach him by phone, but his line was unreachable. Even this morning, I made further attempts, but there was no response,” Onyejaka explained.
Following this, the State Prosecutor, Yusuf Sule, expressed frustration with the repeated delays, stating that the session had been intended for re-arraignment. He requested an adjournment due to the absence of Evans’ counsel but voiced concerns about ongoing delays attributed to the first defendant.
“This delay has been ongoing since the beginning of the case,” Sule remarked. “It is essential that the first defendant either secures a lawyer based in Lagos or appoints another representative to avoid further setbacks.”
Sule also reminded the court that the case has been pending since 2017. He mentioned that Evans had previously applied for a plea bargain but expressed uncertainty over whether he still wished to pursue it.
Justice Coker, after hearing the prosecutor’s statements, instructed the prosecution to ensure the presence of a representative from the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) at the next hearing. She emphasized that should Evans’ counsel fail to appear again, the OPD could step in to represent him to prevent further delays.
“On the next adjournment date, if the defense counsel does not attend, the OPD will represent the first defendant so that the arraignment can proceed,” Justice Coker declared.
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