Evans Asks Court To Order Police To Release Seized 25 Mack trucks

Evans Asks Court To Order Police To Release Seized 25 Mack trucks

Alleged kidnapping kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, also known as Evans on Thursday urged a Federal High Court in Lagos to order the police to release to him 25 Mack trucks, which were allegedly seized from him.

Evans, who is making the demand in an application filed on his behalf by his lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, is claiming that the trucks were seized without a court order and that the action violated  his rights.

Ogungbeje is praying praying the court to release the trucks to Evans through him.

The lawyer listed the number plates of some of the said trucks as BDG 78 XT, GGE 491 XU, FST 742 XT, AGL 219 XT, BDG 79 XT, AGL 222 XT, GGE 492 XU, AGL 220 XT and GGE 489 XU.

He accused the police of forcefully confiscating the trucks from his client on June 15, 2017 without any court order.

Ogungbeje is also praying the court to award N200 million as general and exemplary damages against the police for what he termed violation of Evans' rights under sections 36, 43, and 44 of the 1999 Constitution.

However, the police in a counter-affidavit deposed to by one Inspector Haruna Idowu, urged the court to dismiss the application for lacking in merit.

Idowu in the affidavit said he was on the team that investigated Evans' case.

He maintained that Evans acquired 11 trucks with proceeds of crime, adding that 10 of them were recovered by the police and had been listed as exhibits in the criminal charges filed against Evans.

The police officer further said, "The applicant is the notorious and most dreaded armed robber and kidnapper known as Evans, who defiled police arrest for over 10 years and who had terrorised many states of Nigeria with his various gang members.

"The applicant has no other source of livelihood except armed robbery and kidnapping as so many arms and ammunition were recovered from the applicant during his arrest.

"The applicant had purchased various properties with proceeds of armed robbery and kidnapping. 

"The applicant purchased 11 trucks with proceeds of crime. The police recovered 10 in Lagos while they were not able to tow the remaining one from Anambra State to Lagos due to the fact that the applicant's brother-in-law, Mr. Okwuchukwu Obiechina, and his wife had tampered with the brain box of the truck in a bid to pervert the course of justice. 

"The trucks recovered are proceeds of crime which are preserved and kept as exhibits to be tendered in the ongoing criminal prosecution of the application at the High Court of Lagos State."

Justice Hadizat Shagari has adjourned the matter till April 17, 2018 for judgment.