Billionaire kidnapping kingpin, Mr. Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, has filed a fresh suit against the police, seeking the release of 25 Mack trucks, which he claimed were seized from him.
His lawyer, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, contended in the suit that the trucks were seized without a court order, saying that the seizure was a violation of Evans’ right.
Mr. Ogungbeje is praying the Federal High Court in Lagos to order the police to release the trucks to Evans through him (Ogungbeje).
He listed the number plates of some of the said trucks as BDG 78 XT, GGE 491 XU, FST 742 XT, AGL 219 XT, BDG 79 XT, AGL 222 XT, GGE 492 XU, AGL 220 XT and GGE 489 XU.
According to him, the police forcefully confiscated the trucks from Evans on June 15, 2017, without any court order.
Mr. Ogungbeje wants the court to award N200m as general and exemplary damages against the police for what he termed violation of Evans’ rights under sections 36, 43, and 44 of the 1999 Constitution.
But the police have opposed the suit, through a counter-affidavit deposed to by one Inspector Haruna Idowu, who said he was on the team that investigated Evans’ case.
Mr. Idowu maintained that Evans acquired 11 trucks with proceeds of crime, adding that 10 of them were recovered by the police and had been listed as exhibits in the criminal charges filed against Evans.
“The applicant is the notorious and most dreaded armed robber and kidnapper known as Evans, who defiled police arrest for over 10 years and who had terrorized many states of Nigeria with his various gang members,” the investigator said.
“The applicant has no other source of livelihood except armed robberies and kidnappings as so many arms and ammunition were recovered from the applicant during his arrest.”
“The applicant had purchased various properties with proceeds of armed robberies and kidnappings.”
“The applicant purchased 11 trucks with proceeds of crime. The police recovered 10 in Lagos while they were not able to tow the remaining one from Anambra State to Lagos due to the fact that the applicant’s brother-in-law, Mr. Okwuchukwu Obiechina, and his wife had tampered with the brain box of the truck in a bid to pervert the course of justice.”
“The trucks recovered are proceeds of crime which are preserved and kept as exhibits to be tendered in the ongoing criminal prosecution of the application at the High Court of Lagos State.”
Justice Hadizat Shagari has adjourned the matter till April 17, 2018