Billionaire kidnapper Chukwudumeme Onwamadike, a.k.a Evans, on Thursday urged the Lagos High Court Ikeja to consider his application for plea bargain and clemency.

His new lawyer, Chief Emefo Etudo, made the plea immediately after Evans was re-arraigned over a five-count charge of alleged murder and kidnapping by the Lagos State Government.

In the charge filed before Justice Adenike Coker, Evans and one Joseph Nkenna Emeka pleaded not guilty to alleged kidnapping and murder.
Chief Etudo told the court that the substance of Evans’ application for plea bargain is with respect to three pending criminal cases and two others on compassionate grounds.

He had earlier been convicted in two other cases.

His lawyer told Justice Coker that Evans has been converted to a reasonable human being and, from being a criminal to a teacher, has entirely changed. He submitted that Evans’ name should be graciously dropped from the three pending charges.
He submitted:

“That a fresh charge be discretionally filed against the first defendant upon which he will plead guilty and serve 14 years imprisonment, if approved.

“That the 14 years imprisonment that may be imposed in the new charge be made to run concurrently with other sentences that might have been given in his other cases listed above.

“Our authority for bringing this application is attached as Appendix 6 and this application supersedes and overrides any previous application made by or on behalf of Mr Onwuamadike for plea bargain.”

Speaking further, Chief Etudo told the court that there are five criminal cases against Evans and Lagos State has been prosecuting him for those cases and has gained conviction in two.

He said during the course of the prosecution, Evans has been incarcerated for about eight years.

“While in prison, the Federal Government offered the first defendant and other inmates a second chance and offered them the opportunity to go to school.

“The first defendant (Evans) accepted the offer to be educated as they were given a scholarship by the Federal Government. He has now earned an NCE teaching certificate in Economics.

“He is now a teacher and no longer a criminal. A copy of his NCE certificate and the project he did are attached as Appendix 1 & 2.

“Mr Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike was also given admission to the National Open University of Nigeria under the scholarship granted by the Federal Government.

“He is now in 200 level at the National Open University of Nigeria, offering Political Science. A copy of his admission letter is attached as Appendix 3 and a copy of his ID card at the National Open University of Nigeria is attached as Appendix 4.

“Mr Onwuamadike has also learned technology under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity; to wit, welding and metal fabrication and passed all tests. A copy of the test by the Ministry of Labour and Productivity is attached as Appendix 5.”

Justice Coker told both the Prosecuting lawyer, Mr A. Y. Sule, and Chief Etudo, representing both parties, to wait till March 20, when the decision of the committee set up by the Lagos State government on Evans’ application would have been released.