Crime
Evans charged with murder, knows fate Nov.10
Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans, alleged kidnap kingpin has been indicted and charged with murder.
He appeared before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Lagos High Court in Igbosere on a new charge bordering on murder of Sylvanius Ahanonu Hafiia.
National Daily recalls that Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of a Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere, had on 23rd October, adjourned the arraignment and hearing of pending application of Evans, to October 27.
Charged with five others, Evans is facing alleged murder of Sylvanius Ahanonu Hafiia and attempted kidnap of the Chairman of Young Shall Grow Motors, Vincent Obianodo.
The judge also ordered that three of Evans’ alleged accomplices be moved to Kirikiri
Maximum Security Prisons, Ikoyi while he adjourned hearing to November 10.
However, the decision of Justice Taiwo became necessary as a result of an application that one of the suspects requires medical attention which are better available in prison.
It was gathered that the suspects, who are on trial on seven counts have been in police custody since they were arrested. On the pther hand, Evans was said to have been transferred from the police to prison custody following his arraignment before Justice H. Oshodi of a Lagos High Court in Ikeja.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State High court sitting in Igbosere fixed November 11, 2017, for the ruling in Evans’ trial. However, Evans’ Defence Counsel argued that his client could be charged with court contempt on the adjourned date being that he already had a case against him at the state high court Ikeja, on the same offence.
He also said charging the accused on same counts in another court could amount to duplication of charges. But the prosecution countered that the defence is in total misinterpretation/misunderstanding of the word duplicity.
The DPP added that according to Section 153 of the ACJ 2015 a count should contain one single offence, containing more than one offence will means bad for duplicity.
Therefore, when an offence is committed on separate days, in this case, the offence of attempted kidnapping was committed in 2014, which can be brought in different courts.