The trial of alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans and five others over alleged kidnapping was stalled at an Ikeja High Court, due to a lack of legal representation for Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Evans’ co-defendant.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during proceedings on Friday, Nwachukwu who is the fifth defendant, informed the court that he was unable to engage the services of a lawyer and that he also did not want to represent himself.

Following the development, Mr Adebayo Haroun, the lead State Prosecuting Counsel, told the court that he was aware that Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had visited Kirikiri Prisons in respect of legal representation for Evans.

Haroun, however, said he was uncertain whether Shitta-Bey also discussed legal representation with Nwachukwu.

Justice Hakeem Oshodi, therefore, stood-down proceedings to enable the state counsel to telephone Shitta-Bey to confirm if she discussed legal representation with the fifth defendant.

When proceedings resumed, Haroun told the court that the DPP confirmed not discussing legal representation with Nwachukwu.

Reacting, Oshodi said: “the DPP should be informed formally about the provision of a lawyer for the fourth defendant and proof of service should be submitted in court.

“This case is adjourned till Aug. 15 for continuation of trial.”

Evans, is standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba over the alleged kidnap of the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Ltd., Mr Donatus Dunu.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the six defendants were arraigned on Aug. 30, 2017 on two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping.

The prosecution alleged that the six men kidnapped Dunu and collected 223,000 Euros (N100m) as ransom.

Four witnesses, including Dunu have so far testified in the trial on behalf of the state. (NAN)

Follow Our WhatsApp Channel ______________________________________________________________________ New Year Promo: Get Five Maritime Law Books For N150,000 — 63% Discount The promotion, which commenced on January 8 and runs until February 8, 2026, offers five core maritime law books authored by Dr. Emeka Akabogu, SAN, ordinarily valued at N405,000, for just N150,000 — a 63% discount. Interested buyers can place their orders through the following channels: Phone: 0704 329 3271 Online Store: https://paystack.shop/aa-bookstore Website: www.akabogulaw.com ______________________________________________________________________ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR LAWYERS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE Reimagine your practice with the power of AI “...this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic.” — Ohio Books Ltd Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe, Esq., ACIArb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. Bonus: Get a FREE eBook titled “How to Use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion” with every purchase.

How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.benadigwe.com

Ebook Version: Access directly online at: https://selar.com/prv626

________________________________________________________________________ The Law And Practice Of Redundancy In Nigeria: A Practitioner’s Guide, Authored By A Labour & Employment Law Expert Bimbo Atilola _______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation ____________________________________________________