Justice Hakeem Oshodi of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, has convicted and sentenced kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (a.k.a Evans) to life for kidnapping of a businessman, Donatus Duru.
The judge found him and two others, Uche Amadi and Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, guilty of conspiracy and kidnapping, charges brought against them by the Lagos State Government.
The defendants had earlier denied the two counts (kidnapping and conspiracy) preferred against them when they were re-arraigned on October 19, 2017.
Evans, Amadi and Nwachukwu, alongside Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba allegedly kidnapped Duru, the Managing Director of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Limited, on February 14, 2017.
While delivering judgment yesterday, Justice Oshodi discharged and acquitted two former military officers, Ifeanyi and Aduba, for lack of sufficient evidence linking them to the crime.
The judge held that the prosecution had succeeded in proving the charge against the trio beyond reasonable doubts.
He said the evidence tendered before the court, especially the video, corroborated others that indicted the convicts.
Describing the convicts as first time offenders, defence counsel, Mr. Olanrewaju Ajanaku and Mr. H.O. Ajibola, urged the court to temper justice with mercy, adding that their clients have learnt their lessons and become remorseful.
But the judge disagreed with the defence lawyers, arguing that the “unrepentant” convicts comfortably lied to the court.
Oshodi further held the submission of the former Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Titi Shitta-Bey, that in view of the gravity of the offence and the rising cases of kidnapping, maximum sentence bẹ imposed on them to serve as deterrent to others.
“I believe a lesson must be taught to serve as deterrent to others. The law is the law. Section 411 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) of Lagos State 2015 must be applied to send the right message to the public that crime does not pay.
“Under Section 411 of the law on which the convicts were arraigned, the penalty for the offence of kidnapping is life imprisonment and the law does not give the court any discretion in the matter.
“I hereby sentenced the three convicts, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, Uche Amadi and Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu to life.”
