Evans refuses to come down from prison van over allegations of maltreatment

SUSPECTED kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a. Evans, on Monday, pulled a stunt at the premises of the Igbosere High Court when he refused to come down from the prison black maria.

When the case was called, Evans refused to come down from the Black Maria, until the court ordered that the prison warders should go and bring him into the court.

He was brought into the court with his back filled with sand and his green Tee Shirt torn on the right shoulder and walked in barefooted.

Evans who was handcuffed into the courtroom raised his hand while in the dock that he had something to say to the court after he had earlier refused to come down from the Black Maria.

Evans who came in a torn greed tee shirt and a short with barefoot to the court, told Justice Adedayo Akintoye that he was not being treated well in the prison, he said that they don’t allow any visitation and that he can hardly see far.

“I have an explanation to make since I have been in the maximum prison, they have been maltreating me, no visit, they don’t feed me well, I have an eye problem and I can not see far,” he said.

However, the prison warder from Kirikiri Maximum prison told the court that Evans, is being taken care of like every other inmate and that he has been seeing a doctor since he complained about his health.

“We have been treating him very well, he is well fed and people have been visiting him. The doctor has been checking him, the doctor came to check him yesterday and even this morning before coming to court. Because he was saying he can’t be in court that he is not feeling fine, but when the doctor checked him yesterday and this morning, the doctor said he was healthy and that he sees no reason why he can’t be in court”.

But Evans interrupted the prison warder that it was a nurse that came to check him and not a doctor and that he was only allowed one visit.

The second defendant’s counsel Ogedi Ogu, also told the court that his client has also been complaining of the same thing.

In her response to the alleged maltreatment of the defendants the State Director for Public Prosecutions (DPP), Ms. Titilayo Shitta-Bey, said that Evans was just making it up, as he is being treated well, and that doctor has also been attending to him.

“That was the same thing he said before an Ikeja High Court and we wrote the prisons and they wrote us back that he was being taken care of like every other inmate”.

Justice Akintoye, however, asked the prisons to ensure that he was well taken care of like the other inmate adding that the defendants are still presumed innocent until proven guilty.

After the Court rose Evans broke down in tears and said that he was being maltreated ” What have I done to you people, they have been beating me, no good food, I have been locked up in one place since August 30 last year. Why are they taking my case personal?” Evans asked.

“Let me face my trial alive, why do you people want to kill me,” he said.

Evans counsel Olukoya Ogungbeje had sent in a letter that the court should stand down the case as he was on his way, but the Prosecutor Shitta-Bey, told the court that it might be another tactic to delay the matter again, adding that at the last adjourned date, he had also sent in a letter that he had an appeal on March 22, before the court of appeal.

She said “After he sent in a letter that he had an appeal before the court of appeal, we later discovered that the appeal was already taken on March 20 and not on March 22.

However, Evans was arraigned alongside Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba on a two-count charge of conspiracy and unlawful capture, preferred against them by the Lagos State prosecution.

According to the charge, Evans, alongside the three defendants and others who are still at large, allegedly conspired amongst themselves and unlawfully captured one Uche Okorafor, on 21 of November 2014, at Festac Town Lagos and demanded a ransom of $2million dollars.

According to the prosecutor, the offenses committed are punishable under sections 409 and 269, of the criminal laws of Lagos State 2011.

At the last adjourned date Justice Adedayo Akintoye dismissed the defendant’s application to quash the charge against them.