I Am Being Starved In Prison Billionaire Kidnapper Evans, Tells Court
Alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike aka “Evans” on Friday told Justice Akeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja that he is being deprived of food by prison authorities.
Having listened to Evans and his co-defendants who accused prison authorities of depriving him of change of clothes, food at their ongoing trial over a two-count of conspiracy and kidnapping Justice Akeem Oshodi directed the state’s Director of Public Prosecution to investigate allegations.
The other defendants are: Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Chukwunonso Aduba.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Friday, Evans told the court, “This is unfair. I have not been given food and change of clothes.
“I was not given the opportunity to bathe since Wednesday. I am seriously hungry now. They locked us in one place, no food and no water to bathe. The last we were fed was when a wife of one of us brought food” Evans stated.
The development made his counsel Olukoya Ogungbeje to request for permission to go buy food for his clients, pleading that only a living person can stand trial.
The lawyer said, “Apart from being starved my lord, they are locked up in solitary confinement with no access to anybody. If this continues, they may not be in the right frame of mind to continue the trial”.
Having listened to the reactions, the presiding judge ordered the prosecutor, Ms. Titilayo Shittay-Bey, to investigate the accusation.
The judge held, “The Director of Public Prosecution should please investigate these allegations. A defendant is innocent until he is proven guilty by a competent court,” he said.
Ms. Shitta-Bey, in her response told the court that the prosecution would promptly investigate the allegations.
Also at the proceedings, Justice Oshodi dismissed the bail application filed by the only female defendant, Ogechi Uchechukwu, asking to be released on bail.
The judge held that he found no merit in her application for bail, stating that the defendant has no concrete base in Lagos and would constitute a flight risk.
He stated, “The 6th defendant claims that the police only arrested her because she is the wife of one of the defendants. But according to the prosecution, the No 21, Ishaye street Igando apartment where the victims of the kidnapping ring were allegedly kept, was rented in her name.
“In her statement, she claimed that her husband and the 1st defendant were business partners who deal in drugs, claims which need to be proved before this court. I hereby find no merit in this application, and the defendant should be kept in custody for her own safety due to the severity of the case,” the judge ruled.
The matter could however not go on as the 4th defendant had no legal representation.
The judge thereafter adjourned the matter till January 19 for cross examination of the first witness and continuation of trial.
