Two video recordings showing alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans, confessing to committing crimes of kidnapping and armed robbery within and outside Lagos, were on Wednesday, March 14, played at an Ikeja high court in Lagos.
The videos were played during the testimony of Inspector Idowu Haruna at the trial of Evans and his co-defendant,Victor Aduba on four-counts of kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms.
The director of public prosecution, Titilayo Shitta-Bey, during Haruna’s testimony, had sought to tender two compact discs (CDs) containing the confessions as evidence. She had also requested that a portion of the videos should be played in court to prove its authenticity to the defence team.
The videos which were projected on the wall of the courtroom showed Evans wearing a red T-shirt, seated on a leather sofa in a room and confessing his crimes to Haruna.
In the video, Evans could be seen smiling and telling the policeman about his daytime and nighttime armed robberies of banks as well as his kidnapping escapades where ransom ranging from 250,000 dollars to one million dollars were received from his victims.
Before the video clips were played, Haruna, a policeman with 14-years’ experience in the Nigerian Police Force, explained to the court how he came in contact with the defendants.
Haruna said: “I’m a member of the Inspector General of Police, Intelligence Response Team, I know the defendants from when they were arrested for the kidnap of one person on February 14, 2017. That victim was taken to their hideout in Igando, Lagos and kept there for a month till he escaped from the hideout.
“He confessed that on June 28, 2014, at Saka St., Amuwo-Odofin in Lagos, he was armed with an Ak47 gun and he kidnapped Sylvanus Ahamonu, taking him to their hideout in a danfo bus. After holding the victim for nine weeks, they contacted his family demanding two million dollars with the family agreeing to pay 420,000 dollars. The family paid the 420,000 dollars in installments.
Responding to the request by the DPP to admit the CDs into evidence, Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje, Evans defence counsel, requested for time to study the recordings and compare the copy of the CD served on them with what was played in court.
During proceedings, Emmanuel Ochai, counsel to Aduba, had complained to the court about Kirikiri prison officials eavesdropping on conversations between the defence counsel and their clients.
At the start of the trial, Ogungbeje had brought an application challenging the amended charge, arguing that the additional evidence was insufficient to sustain the charge.
Dismissing Ogungbeje’s application, Justice Taiwo, in a ruling, said the application lacked merit.
The judge adjourned the case till April 23 and 27 for further hearing.