The court ruled that Evans was guilty of kidnapping Donatus Dunu and collecting €223,000 as ransom.
Kidnapper Chukwudimeme ‘Evans’ Onwuamadike has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Earlier on Friday, the Lagos State High Court pronounced a guilty verdict on Evans and two others over the protracted abduction trial.
Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Ikeja Division said Evans was guilty of kidnapping Donatus Dunu on February 14, 2017, and collecting €223,000 as ransom from his family.
The prosecution had told the court that the incident took place at about 7:45 pm, along Obokun Street, Ilupeju, Lagos.
The conviction marked the end of an extensive trial that began when Evans was arrested by the police in an operation began by the current head of the police Intelligence Response Team, Tunji Disu.
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Now-disgraced police officer Abba Kyari would later take over the case at the tail end of the investigation.
He said there was overwhelming evidence to prove the case against them.
The Lagos State government had arraigned them before the court on August 30, 2017 Section 155 subsection 1 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2017, carries life imprisonment.
In all, the prosecution presented four witnesses, including the victim, Dunu while the defence presented six witnesses including Evans who testified in his own defence.
The judge, however, discharged and acquitted the other co-defendants, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, an ex-soldier; and Victor Aduba, also an ex-soldier.
He held that there was no evidence linking them to the crimes.
The state had claimed that the convicts committed the alleged offence between February 14 and April 12, 2017.
In reaching his verdict on Evans, the judge held that he observed the demeanour of the witness, stating that in some of the confessional videos played in court, Evans had mentioned some of the other defendants and the roles they played in the crime.
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“He showed no remorse in the dock and tried to lie his way out of the crimes despite the video evidence,” Justice Oshodi said.
“He was seen freely laughing and willingly answered questions. A close look at his body shows no sign of torture. He did not look unkempt. He is seen laughing even when he was told that he must be a rich kidnapper.”
He concluded that the evidence tendered before the court especially their video confessions corroborated their guilt.