By Lukman Olabiyi
Suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans and others will know their fate on November 10, on two separate charges filed against them by the Lagos State Government.
The two charges are on kidnap, possession of firearms, murder and attempted murder.
Evans had on October 23, rebuffed attempt by the state government to arraign him and others because he argued that the court lacked jurisdiction try him on the Charles.
The inability of the court then to take Evans’ plea and others defendants made Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo to adjourn the trial till this Friday to hear the applications filed by Evans, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to try him.
One of the charges preferred against Evans and others include an attempted kidnap of the Chairman of The Young Shall Grow Motors, Vincent Amaechi Obianodo.
Evans’ counsel, Olukoya Ogungbeje is seeking to quash the two charges and eleven counts filed against him .
According to Ogungbeje, the court had no jurisdiction to hear both charges.
In one charge, Evans and second defendant Victor Nonso Aduba are standing trial on four counts of conspiracy, kidnap and unlawful possession of firearms .
In the second charge, he and three others face seven counts of conspiracy, attempted kidnap, kidnap, murder and attempted murder.
The second to fourth defendants are Joseph Ikenna Emeka, Chiemeka Arinze and Udeme Frank Ukpong.
Arguing his application Friday, Evans’ counsel said the application was brought pursuant to Section 55 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, 2015 and Sections 36 and 6 (6) (b) of the Constitution.
He argued that all 11 counts in the two charges were bad for duplicity, grossly defective, a gross abuse of court’s process and do not disclose a prima facie case against the defendant.
Specifically, Ogungbeje claimed that Counts 1, 2 and 3 in the first charge filed against his client, do not disclose any prima facie case as there is no evidence of death in the proof of evidence in the information filed by the prosecution.
However, in its counter-affidavit, the state government represented by the Director of Public Prosecution ( DPP ), Ms Titian Shitta-Bey, contended that the charge numbers; LD/5962/2017 and ID/5970/2017, referred to by Evans are separate and distinct from the new charges.
The court adjourned to November 10 for ruling.