Court orders Evans to pay kidnap victim €233,000, N50m

On Tuesday, a Lagos state high court in Tafawa Balewa Square issued an order requiring convicted billionaire kidnap kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, also known as Evans, to return the €233,000 ransom he coercively demanded from Chief Donatus Dunu, one of his abducted victims.

In addition, Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi mandated that the kidnapper who was found guilty pay the claimant N50m in general damages.

Pharmacist Dunu was kidnapped on February 14, 2017, and held captive until he was able to flee. His captors had demanded a ransom from his family.

Later, Dunu—the CEO of Maydon Pharmaceutical Company—filed a civil lawsuit, asking the court to order Evans to reimburse him for the €233,000 he had paid as ransom.

In addition, he sought N50m in general damages.

Evans said in his defense, however, that the criminal charge marked 1D/5970C/2017 brought against him and others was the main factor supporting the claimant’s case.

Evans testified in his criminal trial that a witness named Okagwu claimed he dropped the €233,000 ransom on the ground before running away.

Although he had been found guilty, he claimed that the case had been appealed.

However, Justice Ogunjobi concluded that Evans’ evidence was contradictory.

Justice Ogunjobi held, “Aside adducing conflicting pieces of evidence on oath, I have watched the demeanour of the defendant in the witness box when giving evidence and came to the conclusion that the defendant is not a witness of truth. I do not believe his evidence. I accept the unchallenged and uncontroverted evidence of the claimant and his witnesses. The evidence support the reliefs sought by the claimant.

“Consequently, the claimant is entitled to be paid or repaid and or recover from the defendant, the sum of   €233,000 ransom coercively paid by the claimant to defendant when the defendant kidnapped the claimant in the year 2017 and held the claimant hostage for months.”