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EVANS: ‘How I was kidnapped, tortured’– Businessman

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EVANS: 'How I was kidnapped, tortured'– Businessman

A businessman, Mr. Sylvanus Ahamonu, on Friday narrated before an Ikeja Special Offences Court, how he was allegedly kidnapped, tortured and made to pay $420,000 ransom by alleged billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike (alias Evans) and his gang members.

Ahamonu who gave evidence online via the Zoom App, as the third prosecution witness in the trial of Evans and a dismissed member of the Nigeria Army, Victor Aduba, was able to easily identify Evans when he was asked to do so.

Also read: Evans’ trial: How I raised $420,000 ransom for husband’s release, witness tells court

Evans was standing in the dock alongside Aduba.

“I know him, that is Evans,” he said.

He was, however, unable to identify Aduba.

Led in evidence by Lagos State counsel, Mr. Yusuf Sule, Ahamonu said his ordeal began in the evening of June 23, 2014, while he was returning to his residence from work, in his car.

He said his driver was waylaid by two or three men in police and military uniforms, who claimed to be men of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force.

“Evans came into my car brandishing an AK-47 rifle. He was wearing three-quarter Jean trousers.

“I saw his face, he cannot deny it.

The men in army and police uniforms were beating me.

They said I was wanted by SARS.

“Their bus was parked closeby and they took me into the bus, put me on the floor and covered my head.

They placed their feet on my head throughout the trip.

“After about two or three hours, they transferred me to a Sienna car and took me to a building where they handcuffed my hands and legs and began interrogating me about my personal life and business,” he testified.

The witness said that three weeks into his alleged captivity, his abductors contacted his wife and asked her to pay $2 million ransom or he would be murdered.

He said his spouse, in order to meet up with the demands, sold their property and contacted family, friends and well-wishers, after which she was able to raise $200,000.

“The money was given to them, and they said it was not complete, they said she must provide the complete money or they would kill me.

“She additionally sold some things in the village, and gave him another $200,000, and he said the money was not complete yet.

“My wife raised another $20,000, to give him. We gave them a total of $420,000,” Ahamonu said.

He told the court that Evans also threatened to kill his immediate elder brother, Dominic, who dropped off the first tranche of $200,000 because he reported the abduction to the police.

The businessman alleged that Evans also kidnapped his relative, Onyebuchi, who paid the final tranche of $20,000 ransom.

He said he was later released alongside Onyebuchi.

He said that his path and Evans’s crossed again after he (Evans) was captured and held in police custody.

 

“The police announced that anyone who had been kidnapped by Evans before should come to identify him.

“When I saw him, he started begging for forgiveness, he told everyone the amount of money he received from me, and how he treated me.

“My hands and feet were handcuffed for two months and I was blindfolded for that period. I nearly died.

“Evans told my wife to take me to a hospital, and that if I should die, he would kill her.

I had to be flown abroad for treatment,” Ahamonu said.

While being cross-examined by Evans’s counsel, Mr. Victor Opara (SAN), Ahamonu said he never met Evans prior to his alleged ordeal.

He said when he was accosted by the gang and told that he was wanted by SARS/authorities, he initially did not panic because he was a law-abiding citizen.

On raising the funds for the ransom, he said that he had a very large family as well as a lot of friends who were anxious for his wellbeing.

He told the court that the family members and friends helped to raise the money.

While being cross-examined by counsel to Aduba, Mr. Emmanuel Ochai, Ahamonu said that the abduction occurred on Kara Road, off Osolo Way, Ajao Estate, Lagos.

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case until Feb. 4, 2022, for continuation of trial.

 

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Alleged N950m Fraud: Absence Of Ex-Punch Staff, Others Stalls Arraignment

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The absence of a former employee of Punch Nigeria Ltd., Olusegun Ogunbanjo and others, charged with N950 million fraud on Tuesday suffered a setback as the defendants failed to show up in court.

Other defendants in the suit numbered  ID/21559C/2023 are Olawunmi Ogunbanjo, Vaneloo International Ltd., Valeco Global Ventures, Bagco Garba, Taofeek Ogunbanjo, Ifeanyi Odogwu, Bound Media Ltd., and Godwin Benson.

When the case was called, only counsel to the first defendant, Mr Charles Jiakponna, appeared in court while there was no representation for other defendants.

Justice Ismail Ijelu asked the defence why all the defendants were absent in court without explanation. Ijelu, thereafter, issued a bench warrant on all the defendants except Ogunbanjo.

The judge adjourned the case until March 28 for arraignment.
The court had on Feb.26 overruled the objections of the first defendant that it lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.

The court ruled that it had thoroughly examined the information and proof of evidence in the case and formed the view that its jurisdiction to entertain the case was absolutely, intact.

The court had ordered that all the defendants be produced in court to take their plea.
The Lagos State Government had on March 10, 2023 arraigned Ogunbanjo before a Sabo-Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court for alleged N950 million fraud.

Magistrate Adeola Olatubosun had granted him bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum, following his not guilty plea to the three-count charge of obtaining by false pretences, forgery and stealing.
Ogunbanjo was alleged to have obtained N450 million from one Mr Olusola lkuyajesin and N500 million from one Mr Durodola Balogun under false pretences of using the money to buy stationeries.

He also allegedly forged the organisation’s Local purchase orders to carry out the acts, in contravention of Sections 287, 314 and 365 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The judge  adjourned the case until March 14 for  arraignment

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NDLEA Arrests 2 Grandpas, After Intercepting Illicit Drugs In Commercial Bus Engine

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Police arraign Lagos businessman for alleged theft of N3.5m phones

Operatives of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a consignment of Indian hemp and other psychoactive drugs hidden in the engine compartment of a commercial bus travelling interstate.

Spokesman of the agency, Mr Femi Babafemi stated on Sunday in Abuja that the drugs, weighing at least 5.2kg, were intercepted on Thursday on Gbongan-Ibadan Road in Osun.

He added that the 35-year-old driver of the bus who took responsibility for the concealment was taken into custody for investigation.

“On Wednesday, the previous day, a 26-year-old lady, who produces and distributes “skuchies’’ was arrested in Osogbo, during a raid on her hideout.

“At least, 16.5 litres of skuchies and different quantities of molly and Indian hemp were recovered from her during the raid,’’ Babafemi stated.

Molly acts both as a stimulant and hallucinogen, producing an energising effect, distortions in time and perception, and enhanced enjoyment of tactile experiences.

Babafemi stated also that NDLEA operatives arrested a 70-year-old grandfather, and a 65-year-old man in Borno on Saturday for drug trafficking.

They were arrested in Maiduguri and Gamboru-Ngala respectively alongside a 24-year-old and a 28-year-old.

Babafemi said that 32,000 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered from them.

“Also on Saturday, NDLEA operatives at Geidam in Yobe intercepted a Volkswagen Golf 3 car heading to Gagamari in the Niger Republic.

12 Pirates bag 12 years jail each, for hijacking Chinese vessel

“The 28-year-old driver was to deliver 40 blocks of Indian hemp weighing 24.5kg to a dealer.

“Forty-two cartons, containing 8,400 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,260kg were also recovered from a 29-year-old driver, on Katsina Road, Kaduna on Tuesday, March 5.

“In Kano State, a 35-year-old was arrested for having 62kg of Indian hemp at Gadar Tamburawa area, where a 40-year-old was also nabbed with 244 bottles of codeine syrup,’’ he stated.

Babafemi added that NDLEA operatives also arrested a 28-year-old man on Kano-Maiduguri Road on Thursday with 49,800 pills of tramadol.

“In Lagos State, NDLEA operatives arrested a man at Igbo Elerin area on Wednesday and seized 84 litres of “skuchies’’, 1.1 litres of codeine syrup, 4kg of Indian hemp and 800 tablets of tramadol from him,’’ he stated.

The NDLEA spokesman also stated that operatives arrested at least eight suspects on Friday when they raided the notorious Karu abattoir drug joint in the FCT.

The operatives recovered 51.3kg of Indian hemp in the raid.

In Plateau, two suspects, aged 45 years and 38 years were arrested on Monday, March 4 at Zawan, in Jos South Local Government Area while in possession of Indian hemp weighing 611.438kg.

Babafemi stated also that NDLEA officers intercepted a Zaria, Kaduna State-bound commercial bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra on Wednesday, March 6 in Kogi.

He added that NDLEA operatives also intercepted 8,580 pills of tramadol and exol-5 from a 40-year-old suspect on the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja Expressway in the outgone week.

“In Enugu, operatives raided some lockup shops at New Market on March 5 and seized 371.42kg Indian hemp and 9.49g of methamphetamine,’’ Babafemi also stated.

He added that the NDLEA chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa commended its officers in Borno, Kogi, Kaduna, Kano, Osun, Lagos, Plateau, Enugu, Yobe and FCT for jobs well done in the outgone week.

Marwa charged the officers and their colleagues in other formations nationwide not to rest on their oars as they continued to intensify their drug demand and supply reduction activities. 

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Police Parade Lawyer Over Alleged Abuse Of 10-year-old Househelp

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Gunmen Abduct NPC Commissioner, Aides At Rivers Section Of East-West Road

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has paraded Mrs Adachukwu Okafor, an Anambra-based lawyer, who was recently apprehended for allegedly assaulting her 10-year-old house help.

Okafor, presented herself at the Police station after she had been declared wanted and a N2 million bounty placed on her for allegedly using a red-hot knife, electric pressing iron, and other weapons to brutalise the underage house help.

ACP Olumiyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), while addressing the media at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), on Friday in Abuja, said it was a case of attempted murder and child abuse.

Adejobi, represented by CSP Olabisi Okuwobi, National Coordinator, Police Campaign against Cultism and other Vices, explained that the house help worked for two weeks in the house of the suspect before the incident occurred.

According to him, the suspect alleged that she saw the house help fondling the penis of her six-year-old son, while bathing him.

“On January 29, 2024, this suspect accused her of this and proceeded to tie her hands, mouth and flogged her. She also inserted a hot knife into her private part and poured ground pepper into it.

“She then plugged on an electric iron into the socket allowed it to be hot and used it on the maid’s cheek and buttocks.

“After causing the maid trauma, she now locked her up in the toilets from the afternoon of the incident till the evening of the following day without food.”

The FPRO added that the aunt of the househelp raised an alarm, which attracted passersby when the suspect returned her to the house after inflicting grievous injuries on her.

Police announce death of former FPRO, AIG Awunah

“It was at that point that she dropped the young girl with the aunt, without cloth with the burns on the cheek, buttocks with blood and water oozing out of her private part that the aunts raised an alarm.

“This attracted passers-by who brought out their phones recorded and it went straight to the social space, which attracted the police and Commissioner for Women Affairs in Anambra state.

He, therefore, reiterated the commitment of the NPF to ensure prosecution of the case and justice for the house help.

“Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (I-G) has assured Nigerians that a diligent prosecution of this case will be carried out and no iota of the incident will be swept under the carpet.

“And we will ensure that justice is served on the little girl. And this should serve as a note of warning to those who use little children for child labor,” he said.

Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, Minister of Women Affairs, urged the public to speak out and report any violence to ensure that justice prevails for the victims.

“You see any bad thing, you shout out, if you don’t shout out, you will die in silence, so I’m so glad you shouted out and it is like a command to us.

“We in government are assuring you that we will always take it up and will never let you down ever again.

“You have been let down before but not anymore because the President has already said the poor should breathe. So what he means is that Nigerians should be more respected, taken care of, and treated with compassion.

“So this is the lady. We have brought her and are assuring you that we will get justice for that girl, justice for the nation. We will not let go,” she said.

On her part, the suspect, Okafor, who is a mother of four, denied inflicting injuries on her house help, who she said fell on a burning camp gas, while she was trying to flee from being beaten.

“She entered the kitchen with her back because she was running away from her cane and she mistakenly sat on a burning gas cylinder. That was what happened to her.

“I didn’t use iron or anything like that on her or a knife,” she said.

According to her, she was not happy with the incident as “that was not what she envisioned.” 

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