Following the withdrawal of Mr
Olukoya Ogungbeje, a lead defence counsel of Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias
Evans, from all criminal cases in the High Courts in Lagos, the alleged kidnap
kingpin has employed the services of a new counsel.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
reports that at the resumed proceedings on Friday at an Ikeja High Court, Mr
Noel Brown, announced his appearance as the counsel for Evans and the only
female co-defendant, Ogechi Uchechukwu.
Evans and Uchechukwu are standing
trial alongside Uche Amadi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor
Aduba for allegedly kidnapping Mr Donatus Dunu, the Managing Director of Maydon
Pharmaceuticals.
About 232,000 Euros was allegedly
collected as ransom from Dunu’s family by the gang.
Ogungbeje, Evans’ former counsel,
had on June 13 announced that he was withdrawing from the case following
threats to his life and for
personal reasons.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we
wish to state that we have fought a good fight this far despite repeated and
sustained threats to my
life and to my defence lawyers,”
he said in the statement.
During Friday’s proceedings, it
was revealed that Ogungbeje had written to the court requesting that the judge
should order the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to provide security for him
during his appearance in court.
Reacting to the letter, Justice
Hakeem Oshodi said: “This is an abuse, the court cannot order the Commissioner
of Police to protect him.
“I don’t know what he wants to
achieve by this letter.”
Still reacting to the letter,
Justice Oshodi asked all the defence counsels if they had received threats for
defending their clients during the course of the trial.
They all responded in the
negative.
It was also revealed during
proceedings that Amadi and Nwachukwu, the second and fourth defendants, had no
legal representations.
They, however, informed the court
that they would hire the services of a defence counsel at the next adjournment.
Responding, Ms Titilayo
Shitta-Bey, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the lead prosecutor in the
case, requested an adjournment
to enable the new defence counsel
to get acquainted with the facts of the case.
She said: “We have three
witnesses in court and the new counsel told me that they had just applied for the
records of proceedings.
“I will be requesting for a short
adjournment to enable the defence get acquainted with the case and also for the
defendants that are not represented to engage counsel.”
While obliging the DPP, the judge
said that a date during the court’s annual vacation would be assigned for the
case.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case
until Sept. 11 for continuation of trial.
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