Officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) could not present Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, suspected kidnap kingpin better known as Evans, in court on Wednesday, due to fear of attack as a result of the ongoing #EndSARS protests.
There have been renewed protests across the country over reports of brutality, harassment and extrajudicial killings by operatives of the special anti-robbery squad (SARS).
SARS was subsequently disbanded by the inspector-general of police (IGP), but the protests have continued with activists insisting that more concrete steps must be taken on reforming the police.
With major roads in Lagos blocked by the protesters, the prison authorities could not present Evans and his co-defendants before the state special offences court in Ikeja, where his case is scheduled to be heard.
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Evans is standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba over the alleged kidnap of Donatus Dunu, chief executive officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Ltd.
The six defendants were arraigned on August 30, 2017 on two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping.
According to the prosecution, they allegedly kidnapped Dunu in Lagos on February 14, 2017 and collected £223,000 (N100 million) as ransom from his family.
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Four witnesses, including Dunu, had testified during the trial on behalf of the state.
Evans’ legal representatives and the prosecution team were also said to be absent in court on Wednesday.
The court registrar said the prisons authorities had informed the court that it could not bring the suspects as a result of the massive protests in the city.
“They are afraid of hijack by protesters,” the court registrar told The Punch.
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