Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, was re-arraigned on Thursday before an Ikeja High Court over allegations of murdering two police officers and attempting to abduct Obianodo Vincent, the owner of Young Shall Grow Transport Company.
Appearing alongside his co-defendant, Joseph Emeka, Evans faced a five-count charge of murder and attempted kidnapping before Justice Adenike Coker. Both defendants pleaded not guilty.
Defense Argues for Plea Bargain
Gists9ja reports that Evans’ new lawyer, Emefo Etudo, informed the court that his client had undergone significant personal transformation while in detention. He requested that Evans’ name be removed from pending cases and proposed a fresh charge, under which Evans would plead guilty in exchange for a 14-year prison sentence to run concurrently with his existing convictions.
The defense submitted:
- That a new charge be filed, allowing Evans to plead guilty and serve a 14-year sentence.
- That this sentence run concurrently with any other sentences already imposed.
- That this application overrides any previous plea bargain requests.
Etudo emphasized that Evans had spent about eight years in detention and had taken advantage of educational opportunities provided by the Federal Government.
While in prison, Evans reportedly:
- Earned a National Certificate in Education (NCE) in Economics.
- Enrolled as a 200-level Political Science student at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) under a government scholarship.
- Acquired technical skills in welding and metal fabrication through the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity.
“He is now a teacher and no longer a criminal,” Etudo argued, presenting copies of Evans’ NCE certificate, NOUN admission letter, student ID, and welding certification as evidence.
Justice Adenike Coker directed both the prosecution, represented by A.Y. Sule, and the defense to await the Lagos State Government’s decision on Evans’ plea bargain application. The ruling on the request is expected by March 20.
