The alleged Kidnap Kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans, has employ the service of another lawyer Mr Noel Brown as a lead counsel following the withdrawal of Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje, lead defence counsel from all criminal cases in the high courts in Lagos.
Mr Noel and a female co defendant announced his appearance at the resumed sitting of the proceedings on Friday at an Ikeja High Court, Evans and the only female co-defendant, Ogechi Uchechukwu.
Evans and Uchechukwu are standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba for allegedly kidnapping Mr Donatus Dunu, the Managing Director of Maydon Pharmaceuticals. About 232,000 Euros was allegedly collected as ransom from Dunu’s family by the gang.
Ogungbeje, Evans’ former counsel, had on June 13 announced that he was withdrawing from the case following threats to his life and for personal reasons. “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state that we have fought a good fight this far despite repeated and sustained threats to my life and to my defence lawyers,” he said in the statement.
During Friday’s proceedings, it was revealed that Ogungbeje had written to the court requesting that the judge should order the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to provide security for him during his appearance in court. Reacting to the letter, Justice Hakeem Oshodi said: “This is an abuse, the court cannot order the Commissioner of Police to protect him. “I don’t know what he wants to achieve by this letter.” Still reacting to the letter, Justice Oshodi asked all the defence counsel if they had received threats for defending their clients during the course of the trial.
