•Bandits abduct 45 in Kaduna communities, demand N200m
John Shiklam in Kaduna, Wale Igbintade and Steve Aya in Lagos
An Ikeja Special Offences Court, yesterday, sentenced the convicted kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, and his accomplice, Victor Aduba, to 21 years imprisonment for kidnapping one Sylvanus Hafia, and collecting $420,000 as ransom from his family.
But in Kaduna, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) said some 45 people had been abducted following “mass abductions” in communities in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo convicted and sentenced Evans and Aduba after she found them guilty on four counts of conspiracy and kidnapping of a businessman, Donatus Duru.
The victim was Managing Director of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Limited.
Delivering judgement on the case, Taiwo held that the prosecution had successfully proved the case of kidnap and possession of firearms against the convicts. She said the victim identified the first defendant during the kidnap and even at the police station, where Evans was said to have apologised to him.
The judge said, “There was no proof of evidence before the court that Evans was tortured by Abba Kyari’s men. In the video interview, during trial within trial, Evans told one Sergent Ekundayo that he was a primary school drop-out and that he could not write, that the police officer should help him write his statement.
“I watched the video record where the defendant told the investigation police officer of how he breaks into banks to steal millions of Naira and as if he was proud of his escapades and smiled that he was a businessman.”
Taiwo held that Evans had alleged that the suspects were tortured to death, but that there was no evidence that it was the IPO that caused the death of the suspects or know the cause of the death.
“He also testified that the second defendant, Aduba, wears his army uniform and helps them pave the way whenever they go for operations so that they can freely leave the town,” the judge said of Evans.
She added, “I am satisfied that the prosecution was able to prove the case against the first defendant. The prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that the first defendant committed the offence of kidnapping. He is hereby convicted and guilty as charged.”
Aduba was a member of the gang, which was led by Evans, and his job was to give the gang safe passage and security cover during operations.
The court also considered the confessional statement of the second defendant.
The statement said, “I am an army officer and I was introduced to armed robbery and kidnapping by one Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (Evans) our gang leader. We have operated five times.
“I have participated five times and we used four AK47 rifles to kidnap at Amuwo Odofin after one month Evans gave me N1m as my own share of the money. I have made up to N6.5 million in the five times I participated.”
The judge stated, “I found the first and second defendants guilty as charged, and I hereby convict them as charged.”
Earlier, lawyer to Evans, Amobi Nzela, announced his appearance, while Aseola Folarin, who appeared for Aduba, in his allocution, begged the court to temper justice with mercy. She said Aduba was a first time offender whom the wife gave birth four months into his incarceration and he had not seen the child since he was born.
“He is a father of two and a young man that has served this country while in the Army,” Folarin said.
Meanwhile, in a statement yesterday in Kaduna, President of SOKAPU, Awemi Maisamari, said the bandits, who abducted their people were demanding N200 million ransom for their release.
Maisamari said the latest abductions took place between September 12 and 13 in Kasuwan Magani, about 20 kilometres from Kaduna metropolis.
He stated, “On the first day (12th September), six people were abducted in a night raid by the daredevil terrorists at Ungwan Fada part of the town. With no measures put in place to forestall recurrence, the following day (13th September), the terrorists stormed the Cherubim and Seraphim Church during a night vigil programme at the Bayan Kasuwa quarters of Kasuwan Magani town at around midnight. They succeeded in carting away more than 60 people from the church and neighbouring houses.”
Maisamari said the bandits could take all the victims, but because some were little children and aged people with health challenges, they could not take them.
He added that as the bandits were retreating with their victims to their camps, they attacked Janwuriya village and abducted two more persons
He said, “As of now, 45 persons have so far been confirmed. But yesterday, 18th September 2022, they made contact with some persons in the town via phone calls and claimed that only 40 persons were held by them. They demanded a ransom of N200 million, but negotiation is still on going. We don’t know the identity or the fate of the five missing persons yet.”
The statement said many bandits occupying territories in communities in Kajuru and Chikun local government areas cohabited with the locals, who were treated like captives.
It said, “They terrorised the villagers at will, making it difficult or impossible for them to till or harvest their farms. As a result, most early maturing crops are being left to rot on the farm. This is a daily experience in most occupied communities in Southern Kaduna.
“In the last few months, Southern part of Kaduna State had witnessed and unusual influx of thousands of herdsmen and their cattle from neighbouring states. They indulge in deliberate farm destruction often at night; stealing of ripe farm crops and intimidation of helpless victim farmers. Hundreds of hectares of crops-bearing farmlands valued in millions of Naira have been destroyed.”
