Suspected billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme
Onwuamadike, a.k.a Evans, no longer have a lawyer for his criminal and
civil matters.
Evans’ former counsel, Olukoya Ogungbeje, Friday withdrew his representation, citing personal reasons.
Ogungbeje,
who represented Evans in his multiple kidnapping, murder and attempted
murder trials at the Lagos High Court and two civil suits at the Federal
High Court in Lagos, cited “personal reasons” for his decision.
In
a June 13 letter made available to The Nation, the lawyer claimed that
he and his colleagues in the matter had suffered threats to their lives.
He
said: “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that
we have fought a good fight this far despite repeated and sustained
threats to my life and my defence lawyers.
“I dare say we have no regrets whatsoever having conducted the criminal charges involving our client this far.
“For
the sake of history, we have been able to enrich the basic principles
of our criminal jurisprudence, especially the principle premised on ‘An
accused person being presumed innocent until the contrary is proved’ no
matter the public opinion and criticism”.
Ogungbeje also claimed
that his team kept the Lagos State Prosecution team on its toes in the
art of forensic, proper and thorough investigation and prosecution of
the accused persons.
Evans was arrested on June 10, 2017 in his Magodo, Lagos mansion.
He
is currently facing five criminal charges before three Lagos High Court
judges, Justice Hakeem Oshodi, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo and Justice
Adedayo Akintoye.
In the case before Justice Hakeem Oshodi
which is expected to resume on June 22, Evans, Uche Amadi, Ogechi
Uchechukwu, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba are
facing a two-counts of conspiracy and kidnapping of one Mr Donatus Dunu
who was the last victim allegedly kidnapped by the group before their
arrest in June 2017.