Friday, February 21, 2025 - Convicted kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, also known as Evans, has again made a case for plea bargain claiming that he is no longer a criminal but a changed person.
In his plea bargain application which he put before Justice Sherifat
Sonaike of the Lagos High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square, Evan said that he is now
a teacher at the correctional centre, in Kirikiri after obtaining a teaching
diploma certificate in economics from the Yewa College of Education.
He also said that he was prepared to surrender all his property to the
Lagos State Government including his 14 brand new trucks which could be sold
with the proceeds transferred to the victims of his criminal activities.
This is the second time Evans has approached the court seeking a plea
bargain on compassionate grounds.
On January 30, 2025, he made his first request before Justice Adenike
Coker of the Lagos High Court, ikeja.
The convicted kidnapper had five criminal cases across various high
courts in Lagos State. Two of these cases have already resulted in convictions,
one of which carries a life sentence, while the other was for a 21 year prison
term.
At the proceedings on Thursday before Justice Sherifat Sonaike, his
lawyer, Etudo Emefo, told the court that the convict was remorseful and had
undergone a transformation during his time at the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional
Centre.
He pleaded with the Lagos State Government for mercy, explaining that
without their forgiveness, the Federal Government’s scholarship granted to the
convict would be rendered useless.
He said Evans, as a result of the scholarship, had earned a National
Certificate Education in Economics and is now a teacher.
He presented copies of the NCE certificate and project work before the
court as appendices to the plea bargain application.
The prosecuting counsel, Alaba kuku, confirmed to the court that the
state government had received the application and set up a committee to
consider it.
Counsel representing Evans co-defendants also confirmed that they were
all applying for a plea bargain even though the third defendant counsel said he
was yet to submit his application to the state government.
Evans and his co-defendants, Joseph Emeka, Victor Aduba and Linus Opara,
are standing trial on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping
and attempted murder before Justice Sonaike, who began the case afresh in
January 2023, following the retirement of Justice Adedayo Akintoye.
Justice Sonaike has adjourned the case till April, 17, 2025, for a
report on the plea bargain application or trial, if the plea bargain does not
succeed.
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