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According to the lawyer, Evans was being educated while he was being held in custody.

Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (also known as Evans), the convicted kidnapper, filed a plea bargain deal, which an Ikeja High Court on Thursday postponed till March 20.

Following the re-arraignment of Evans and his co-defendant, Joseph Emeka, Justice Adenike Coker delayed the case.

The two were re-arraigned on a five-count modified accusation that included conspiracy to conduct kidnapping, murder, and attempted murder.

They entered not guilty pleas to every count.

Yusuf Sule, the State Counsel, moved for additional remand of the accused after telling the court that the case was beginning de-novo.

He also told the court that the defendants’ solicitors had submitted an application for a plea deal.

Emefo Etudo, Evans’ attorney, and Ms. Catherine Udeh, the attorney for his co-defendants, did not raise any objections to the remand request.

Evans was being educated while in detention, according to Etudo.

“We are not really defence counsel. We were asked to come and plead for a date.

“Our primary concern is to pursue the plea bargain application with the Lagos State Government on behalf of the defendants.

“The Federal Government has given the first defendant a second chance by awarding him a scholarship.

“Evans bagged NCE, and his ambition is to take up a PhD.

“If Evans is given a second chance, he will not misuse it,”Etudo said.

The prosecution retorted that the application was to be investigated by the committee on a plea deal.

Evans’ plea bargain motion was received and acknowledged by Justice Coker.

She said that by pursuing a plea deal for his unresolved cases, the defence attorney provided his client with wise advise.

In order to obtain a report on the plea bargain application, Coker then postponed the case to March 20.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the court stated on November 21, 2024, that Evans could be represented by the Lagos State Office of Public Defender (OPD) because his attorney has been absent on several adjourned dates.

Additionally, according to NAN, on May 11, 2024, the prosecution notified the court that the defendants had submitted an application for a plea bargain.

However, the prosecutor stated that Lagos State Attorney-General Lawal Pedro (SAN) had taken into consideration the terms of the plea deal.

Evans was found guilty of widespread kidnapping actions and sentenced to prison, according to NAN.

Hakeem Oshodi, a judge at the Ikeja High Court, sentenced him to life in prison in February 2022 for the abduction of Chief Donatus Dunu, the CEO of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Another court judge, Oluwatoyin Taiwo, who is now retired, sentenced Evans to 21 years in jail in September 2022 for kidnapping Chief Sylvanus Ahamonu, a businessman, and demanding $420,000 in ransom from his family.

In two further kidnapping cases, Evans is still awaiting trial.

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