A Lagos state High Court at Tafawa Balewa Square on Tuesday ordered convicted billionaire kidnap kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, to refund the sum of €233,000, ransom he coercively collected from one of his kidnap victims, Chief Donatus Dunu.
Furthermore, Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi ordered the convicted kidnapper to pay N50 million in general damages to the claimant.
Dunu, a pharmacist, was kidnapped on February 14, 2017 and held hostage for ransom paid by his family before escaping captivity.
Dunu, the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Company, later filed a civil suit, requesting that the court order Evans to return the €233,000 paid in ransom to him.
He demanded N50m general damages in addition.
However, in his defence, Evans contended that the strength of the claimant’s case was predicated majorly upon the criminal charge, marked 1D/5970C/2017 filed against him and others.
Evans said during his criminal trial, a witness, one Okagwu, said he delivered the €233,000 ransom by dropping it on the ground and fled thereafter.
He said though he was convicted the, the matter had gone on appeal.
But in his judgment, Justice Ogunjobi said Evans’ evidence was inconsistent evidence.
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.”