Convicted kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, has told the Lagos State High Court, sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, that he is now a teacher at the Kirikiri correctional center after receiving a teaching diploma in economics from the Yewa College of Education and that he is not a criminal.
Evans stated that he was willing to forfeit all of his possessions as part of a plea bargain arrangement if the court granted his motion on compassionate grounds.
This information was included in his plea bargain application.
As part of the proposed plea bargain agreement, he promised to turn over 14 brand new trucks to the Lagos State Government for sale, with the revenues going to the victims of his illegal actions.
This is Evans‘ second appearance in court, seeking a plea bargain for his role in the kidnapping.
On January 30, 2025, Evans approached Justice Adenike Coker of the Ikeja High Court to request a plea bargain.
Evans had five criminal cases pending in various high courts in Lagos State. Two of these have already resulted in convictions, with one carrying a life sentence and the other receiving a 14-year prison term.
Evans, represented by his counsel, Mr. Etudo Emefo, expressed regret for his acts in his plea to Justice Sherifat Sonaike, claiming that he had undergone a transformation while in Kirikiri Maximum Prison.
He stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria provided him with a scholarship while he was in prison.
He asked for clemency from the Lagos State Government, stressing that without their forgiveness, the Federal Government’s scholarship would be pointless.
Furthermore, he claimed that he would be unable to apply the new talents he learned while incarcerated, resulting in a waste of government resources.
According to the court documents, the federal government provided Evans and other inmates with opportunities to enhance their education while they were in prison.
Evans accepted this offer and was offered a scholarship. As a result, he obtained a National Certificate in Education in Economics and is now a teacher who no longer identifies as a criminal. Copies of his NCE certificate and project work were attached as appendices.
Evans was also granted admission to the National Open University of Nigeria through the Federal Government’s scholarship program.
He is currently in his second year of political science. His acceptance letter and student ID card were provided to the court as part of the application process.
Evans stated that he had received welding and metal fabrication training from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity and passed all applicable tests. A copy of the test findings was included as an appendix.
When the matter came up for trial on Thursday, the prosecution attorney, Alaba Kuku, informed Justice Sherifat Sonaike that the defendants had expressed an interest in negotiating plea bargains with the state government.
He acknowledged that Evans’ counsel, Etudo, had provided him with an advance copy of the application, which is currently being considered by the state government.
Evans and his co-defendants, Joseph Emeka, Victor Aduba, and Linus Opara, are negotiating plea agreements with the Lagos State Government.
The four men are on trial for five counts of conspiracy, kidnapping, and attempted murder before Justice Sonaike, who took over the case in January 2023 when Justice Adedayo Akintoye retired.
Other counsel, including Emeka Azubuike for the second defendant, Chinyere Udeh for the third defendant, and Emmanuel Ochai for the fourth defendant, verified the development to the court.
However, the third defendant’s attorney stated that he had yet to submit his plea bargain application to the state government through the Office of the Attorney General.
As a result, Justice Sonaike delayed the case until April 17, 2025, to receive a report on the plea bargain applications.
