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Billionaire Kidnapper’s Trial: Prosecution To Invite Femi Falana As Witness In Case Against Evans

During Thursday’s trial, the prosecutor said during the trial-within-trial, Evans mentioned that Falana came to visit him while in police custody but was prevented from seeing him owing to the excessive torture which he was going through.

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The trial of suspected billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike aka Evans continued on Thursday at the Lagos High Court with the prosecution seeking to invite Femi Falana (SAN) as a witness in the case.

The prosecution counsel, Yakubu Oshoala, told the court that an issue came up during trial-within-trial and that required him to invite another witness.

During Thursday’s trial, the prosecutor said during the trial-within-trial, Evans mentioned that Falana came to visit him while in police custody but was prevented from seeing him owing to the excessive torture which he was going through.

The prosecutor, therefore, said he would want to invite Falana to the witness stand in the interest of justice.

But the counsel to Evans, Mr. R. B. Ekeh, told the court that he was yet to respond to the application.

Lawyers to the other defendants’ also said that they had not received the application.

Justice Adedayo Akintoye ordered that all the defendants be served with the application.

Evans, the alleged notorious kidnapper, had told the court that the confessional statement he made after his arrest in 2017 was done under duress, following the court held a trial-within-trial to confirm the authenticity of his claims.

The accused is facing charges of conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder.

In the first charge, Evans is standing trial alongside Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.

In the second charge, he is standing trial alongside Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba.

After this argument, the third defendant told the court that he had a bail application for his client.

The counsel informed the court that he had served the medical director of Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, the order made by the court on May 23, in which the director was ordered to issue a medical report on the state of health of the third defendant (Linus Opara).

The counsel had claimed that Opara had a failed operation in prison which might require treatment at a hospital outside the facility.

Justice Akintoye then adjourned the case until September 18 for ruling on the application to call Falana as a witness and for hearing of the bail application of the third defendant.

Evans was arrested on June 10, 2017.

He was arraigned a month later before Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja on charges of kidnapping.

He was also arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the same court on different charges.

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