Convicted billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, has pleaded with the Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square to consider his plea bargain application on compassionate grounds, stating that he is ready to surrender all his property.
In his application, Evans claimed he has undergone a transformation during his time at Kirikiri Maximum Prison. He stated that he is now a teacher at the correctional centre after earning a teaching diploma in economics from Yewa College of Education. He declared that he no longer identifies as a criminal.
As part of the plea bargain arrangement, Evans pledged to forfeit 14 brand-new trucks to the Lagos State Government for sale, with the proceeds directed to his victims. Represented by his lawyer, Mr. Etudo Emefo, Evans expressed remorse for his past crimes and urged the court to grant him mercy.
He also claimed that the Federal Government of Nigeria awarded him a scholarship while in prison. According to his application, he and other inmates were given the opportunity to further their education through a government initiative. He took advantage of the programme and earned a National Certificate in Education (NCE) in Economics. Copies of his NCE certificate and project work were submitted to the court.
Furthermore, Evans disclosed that he was admitted to the National Open University of Nigeria under the Federal Government’s scholarship scheme and is currently in his second year studying Political Science. His admission letter and student ID card were presented as part of his plea bargain application.
In addition to his academic achievements, Evans revealed that he had completed training in welding and metal fabrication through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, successfully passing all required tests. A copy of his test results was included in the court documents.
He pleaded with the Lagos State Government for mercy, explaining that without their forgiveness, his Federal Government scholarship would be rendered useless. He argued that he would also be unable to apply the new skills he had acquired in prison, which would mean a waste of government resources.
When the case came up for trial, the prosecuting counsel, Alaba Kuku, informed Justice Sherifat Sonaike that the defendants, including Evans, had expressed interest in plea bargain agreements with the state government. He confirmed that Evans’ counsel had provided an advance copy of the application, which is currently under consideration by the state government.
