Nigeria's kidnapping don files suit over illegal detention and media trial

Chukwudubem Onwuamadike popularly known as Evans, a notorious kidnapper in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, has dragged the country’s police chief and three government agencies to court over his continued detention without charge.

In court documents filed on June 28, 2017; at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Evans said he had been held since his arrest for close to three weeks and detained without a court order. He also accused the security services of subjecting him to a media trial.

Due to his detention, the suit was deposed to by one Stephen Onwuamadike, a businessman and farmer – who happens to be Evans’ father. ‘‘The applicant has a constitutional right to be arraigned and charged before a court of competent jurisdiction for any offence or crime allegedly committed by the applicant,’‘ it read in parts.

The two main reliefs the application is seeking is for the authorities to appropriately charge him to court and to unconditionally release him pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion.

Evans was arrested on June 10, 2017; after a police operation. He is said to be behind high-profile kidnapping of monarchs and businessmen with the expertise for seeking ransom only in dollars.

He was declared wanted in Africa’s most populous country in 2013 but it took a gun battle and international police cooperation before he was eventually busted in a Lagos apartment as he tried to escape through the roof.

Aside the police chief, Ibrahim Idris, the three other respondents to the case are: The Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Commissioner of Police and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command.

The police chief rcently disclosed Evans’ connection to Ghana while speaking at a regional security conference held in Accra. He said not only did the Evans hold a Ghanaian passport, he had investments and family in Ghana.

“Last week, we arrested a kidnapper. He has houses in Ghana and his family is based here in Ghana and that’s the only kidnapper that kidnaps and demands ransom in dollars.

‘‘He has collected about $6million so far in ransom and he keeps his victim for as long as six months, even if it means paying the ransom in installments. It is sad that he keeps somebody for six months and doesn’t release the victim until that money was paid in full,” he said.