The suspected billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme
Onwuamadike (popularly known as Evans), will be arraigned before an Ikeja
Division of the Lagos State High Court today.
A police source, who did not want to be named because he
was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the alleged kidnapper would
appear before Justice Hakeem Oshodi.
The suspect, who has been in police custody since June 10
when he was arrested in Lagos, will be facing charges of armed robbery,
kidnapping, and murder among others.
It was also learnt
that the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Adeniji Kazeem, will lead the
prosecution team.
When contacted, Olukoya Ogungbeje, the lawyer who filed a
fundamental rights enforcement suit on behalf of Evans against the police at a
federal court in Lagos, said he was not aware of the arraignment.
“Even if he is arraigned tomorrow, it will not affect the
hearing of his fundamental rights case,” Mr. Ogungbeje he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, a Lagos Division of the Federal High
Court adjourned till September 5 to hear arguments from both Mr. Ogungbeje and
police lawyers on why he should not deliver judgment on the fundamental rights
application brought by Evans.
Justice Abdulaziz Anka had initially fixed Tuesday to
deliver judgment on the suit but a lawyer to the Inspector General of Police
and the Nigeria Police Force, David Igbodo, appearing for the first time since
the hearing began, said he had filed a counter affidavit before the court.
“It will be an injustice for judgment to be delivered
without hearing our own side,” Mr. Igbodo, Commissioner of Police (Legal
Section), said.
Later, when he spoke to journalists outside the
courtroom, Mr. Igbodo said police investigation into the Evans’ case was
“almost complete.”
“The case is a very controversial one, it is a sensitive
case,” he said.
“The Inspector General of Police devoted time, efforts,
intelligence, and strategies to ensure that he was arrested. He beat strategies
for the past six years. When he was arrested, it took time for the police to
complete investigations and very soon, Nigerians will be made to know what is
the next line of action for Evans.”
Mr. Igbodo dismissed claims of the police not having the
authority to detain Evans saying they had obtained a remand order from a
federal court to hold the suspect in their custody for three months.
“The Inspector of General of Police is a lawyer, in the
first instance. He is somebody that respects the rights of every citizen,” he
said.
“He has been organising conferences and seminars for the
Nigeria Police, both investigators and prosecutors, to make sure nobody is kept
in custody beyond 24 or 48 hours without an order of a court of competent
jurisdiction.
“The Inspector General of Police cannot keep Evans
without a court order, there is a valid court order that is still subsisting as
I speak with you for three months. You know Evans was arrested on the 10th of
June; since when he was arrested till now, it’s not up to three months.
“But meanwhile investigations have almost been completed
and very soon Nigerians will be made to know what is the next line of action in
the case of Evans.”
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