The Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) has ordered billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans, to refund the sum of 233,000 Euros ransom he obtained from one of his victims, Chief Donatus Dunu.
Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi also ordered the convicted kidnapper to pay N50m as general damages in favour of the claimant.
Evans abducted Duru, a pharmacist, on February 14, 2017 for ransom and held him hostage.
Duru subsequently escaped from captivity, but not before Evans demanded and obtained €233,000 from his captive.
Consequently, the Claimant, who is the CEO of Maydon Pharmaceutical Company, filed Suit No: LD/5243GCM/2018 demanding the return of the €223,000 and N50m as damages.
In his testimony before the court, the Claimant narrated that Evans ordered him to instruct his brothers, Anselm Dunu and Innocent Dunu to pay the ransom.
Duru testified that despite Evans receiving the €233,000 he refused to release him, adding that he escaped by himself.
Anselm corroborated him in his witness statement on oath sworn to on May 16, 2022.
His evidence was that a day after the kidnap, he spoke with Duru on the phone who instructed him to pay his abductors N100 million as ransom for his release.
Anselm stated that the abductors later demanded £ 1 million. He stated that his relation, one Uchenna Okagwu delivered the 233,000 Euros to the abductors.
However, in his defence, Evans contended that the strength of the Claimant’s case was predicated majorly upon criminal trial against him and others in Suit No. 1D/5970C/2017.
The defendant also submitted that the only evidence before the court as to the payment of 233,000 Euros and to whom if any it was paid to was the evidence of Okagwu who allegedly delivered the money to the abductors.
He added that in the criminal trial in Suit No. 1D/5970C/2017, Okagwu testified that he dropped the said sum on the ground and fled and that he did not see anybody or delivered the money to anyone.
He argued that the evidence of Okagwu who delivered the said ransom to the abductors which was the only direct evidence must pass the test of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. (Nation)
