By Lukman Olabiyi
Notorious kidnapping kingpin Chukwudumeme “Evans” Onwuamadike, who is standing trial before the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, has opted for a plea bargain.
This was revealed by the defendant’s counsel, Chief Emefo Etudo, after Evans’ re-arraignment on Thursday by the state government on a five-count charge.
The charges against the defendant include murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, to which he pleaded guilty.
Following the re-arraignment, Etudo informed the court that his client had repented from his criminal ways and had applied to the state government for mercy.
Etudo told the court, presided over by Justice Adenike Coker, that despite the amended charge and his client’s plea, he had applied to the state government through the Attorney General’s office for a plea bargain.
He said: “Our focus in this matter is the plea bargain which we have submitted to the state government. My client is now a repentant person. He was a young man consumed by crime, but he is now remorseful. Presently, he is a 200-level student at the National Open University. In fact, he made A1 in all his NECO papers while in prison. All this was made possible through a scholarship given to him by the Federal Government.
“My lord, we have asked the Lagos State government to give him the opportunity to go around schools in the state to talk to youths about the dangers of crime.”
State Prosecutor Y.A. Sule confirmed Evans’ application for a plea bargain, stating that the appropriate authorities would consider it.
He told the court that the day’s business was the re-arraignment of the defendant to enable the matter to start de novo.
He said: “My lord, I can confirm that the 1st defendant (Evans) has indeed applied for a plea bargain, and it was served on us. We shall be examining it. The second defendant has also made a similar application.”
Following the submissions, Justice Coker adjourned the matter to March 20 for a possible trial.