Within a month’s interval, kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, aka Evans, on Thursday February 20, 2025 has filed another plea bargain before Justice Sherifat Sonaike of the Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square, TBS, Lagos.
In this second application, Evans said that he was ready to surrender all his property, including his life as part of agreement for the plea bargain if the court considers his application on compassionate ground.
The first plea bargain was filed before Justice Ibironke Coker of the Ikeja High Court on January 21, 2025.
In the new application, Evans pledged to forfeit his 14 brand new trucks to the Lagos State Government for onward sale and transfer of the proceeds to the victims of his criminal acts as part of the plea bargain agreement.
It would be noted that there are five criminal cases pending against Evans, scattered before different high courts in the state, two of which the Lagos State has secured convictions – one life jail and the other 14 years’ imprisonment.
Led by his lawyer, Barrister Emefo Etudo, Evans, in his application before the trial judge, Justice Sherifat Sonaike, stated that he is now a repentant soul, after he has stayed at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, Lagos, for eight years and been forgiven of all his crimes by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
He added that the Federal Government had even granted him scholarships while in prison, for which he is pleading with the state government for mercy.
According to Evans, without the Lagos State Government’s forgiveness, the scholarships granted him by the Federal Government may become useless. He said this would also prevent him from practicing the new skills he acquired in the prison, which would amount to a waste of the Federal Government resources spent on him.
In the process filed before the court, Barrister Etudo stated: “While in prison, the Federal Government offered the first defendant (Evans) and other inmates a second chance and offered them opportunity to go to school.
“The first defendant (Evans) accepted the offer to be educated as they were given scholarship by Federal Government. He has now earned an NCE teaching certificate in Economics.
“He is now a teacher and no longer a criminal. Copy of his NCE certificate and the project he did are attached as appendix 1 & 2.
“Mr Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike was also given admission in the National Open University of Nigeria under the scholarship granted by the Federal Government.
“He is now in 200 level in National Open University of Nigeria offering Political Science. Copy of his admission letter is attached as Appendix 3. And copy of his ID Card in National Open University of Nigeria is attached as Appendix 4.
“Mr. Onwuamadike has also learnt technology under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity; to wit, welding and metal fabrication and passed all tests. Copy of the test by Ministry of Labour and Productivity is attached as Appendix 5.”
When the case was mentioned on Thursday, February 20, 2025 the Prosecutor, Mr. A. A. Kuku, said that the plea has gone to the authorities in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice for consideration.
Consequently, Justice Sonaike adjourned the matter to April 17, 2025, either for trial or reports of the plea bargain applications.