I Made Confessional Statement Under Duress – Evans Tells Court

An alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a Evans,
has denied his confessional statement after his arrest in 2017,
saying it was made under duress.

Evans told Justice Adedayo Akintoye of Igbosere High Court,
Lagos on Wednesday that he signed the statement to save him from
being tortured to death.

Evans is currently facing charges, bordering on conspiracy to
kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder before Justice
Akintoye.

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.

At the resumed hearing, Evans gave details of how members of
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team
allegedly tortured and killed several others who were paraded
alongside him in his presence.

He said that the security agents tortured the victims by
suffocating them with plastic bags and threatened to do same to him
if he failed to cooperate with them.

Evans said that some sheets of papers were brought for him to
sign, adding that some of the papers were blank while other had
things written on them.

“When I asked what I was to sign the police officers slapped me
and even quenched a cigarette on my hand.

“The officers were beating me and told me that if anything
happens to me, no one will know. They hit my head and blood was
gushing, the scars are still on my head.

“When I saw how five men, who were paraded with me, were
tortured and killed, I agreed to sign the papers with fear of what
happened to the other men,” Evans said.

He also said that the contents of the papers he signed were not
read to him and that there was no video recording during the
statement taking.

Evans gave the details while a trial within a trial was
conducted to ascertain whether his statement was taken under duress
or not.

He was led in evidence by his counsel, Mr O. I. Ajanuku.

However, Evans was cross-examined by the Lagos State counsel, Mr
Jide Martins, to prove that Evans statement was not taken under
duress.

Earlier, the prosecution had told the court that the business of
the day in the first charge was the adoption of the final written
address in respect of the trial within trial done in that case.

The Lagos State counsel, however, said that they have not been
served with the address of the defence.

Ajanuku, however, assured the prosecution that they would be
served by close of work on Thursday.

Justice Akintoye, after listening to the evidence, adjourned the
case until Jan. 30 for continuation of hearing. (NAN)