An Ikeja High Court in Lagos has asked the Office of the Public Defender to take over the defence of alleged kidnap Kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, also known as Evans for his inability to afford legal fees.
The Lagos State Attorney-General, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo told the court on Friday that his team placed a phone call to Evans’ legal team on the last court date to enquire about the whereabouts of Evans’ counsel.
Justice Hakeem Oshodi, thereafter, noted that Evans had developed a habit of engaging the services of lawyers who according to the judge, “disappeared halfway through a trial” and this has caused delays in the case.
Evans is standing trial alongside four others over the alleged kidnap of the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Ltd, Mr Donatius Dunu.
According to Justice Hakeem Oshodi, “There are five other defendants with different counsel, the interest of the first defendant (Evans) is not superior to those of the other defendants.
“The court will not breach Section 36(6) of the 1999 Constitution by going ahead with today’s business of the court which is the hearing of the no-case submissions,” he said.
Following the judges ruling, Evans co-defendants Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba filed no-case submissions asking the court to dismiss the charges against them.
FRCN Abuja
pub-5160901092443552
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