Police recount how Evans shot Young Shall Grow motors Chairman

Haruna said Evans and his gang members shot the YSG chairman on his right arm and killed two of his escorts. Standing alongside Evans on a seven-count charge of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to kidnap and selling of firearms, include Joseph Ikenna Emeka, 29, Chiemeka Arinze, 39, Udeme Frank Upong, 43. While being led in evidence by the Chief State Counsel, Adebayo Haroun, the police officer said that the incident occurred on August 27, 2013, at Third Avenue Festac Town. “I recognize the defendants as those who attempted to kidnap the chairman of Young Shall Grow motors, Chief Obianuju Vincent sometime in 2013. “The YSG chairman was returning from a game house along Festac Town when his convoy was attacked by heavily armed men led by Evans. “During the attack, the YSG chairman was shot on his right arm while his driver, one Mr Peter Nweke was shot dead. One of his escorts, Chijoke Ngozi (female) was also shot dead. “During a gun duel between the chairman’s police escorts and the gang, three of kidnappers were shot dead by Inspector Solomon Igwe, while the rest fled from the scene. “Two rifles belonging to the gang members were later recovered by the Festac Police Division, where the case was reported. “The corpses were later evacuated by the police at Festac and the case was assigned to my team. “Immediately the matter was assigned to my team, we arrested the 1st defendant (Evans), who narrated the entire operation to us. “Evans told us that he is the leader and the one who led the gang to the operation. Evans mentioned the 3rd defendant (Arinze) as the informant of the operation. “He told us that Arinze had monitored the movement of the YSG chairman for four days in order to give him a detailed information of his routine. “Evans also named the 2nd defendant (Emeka) as his syndicate in all criminal activities while the 4th defendant (Upong) supplied him with the weapons and firearms. “Evans told us that the operation failed because he was misinformed by Arinze, who did not mention that Chief Vincent would be going out that day with police escorts. “Evans also told us, during interrogation, that he came to Lagos after his former gang members ran away with the loot of his last operation,” Haruna said. Haruna also told the court that Evans apologized to the victim of the kidnap for killing his two escorts. “When the victim came to the station, Evans knelt before him and apologized for killing his two escorts. He told him that he was sorry for their deaths and that it was a mistake. “Evans told the victim that he had no intention of killing anyone during the operation but only wanted to kidnap him and later demand for ransom. “Evans begged that he was misinformed about the victim’s police escorts who were also armed,” Haruna said. Earlier during the trial, Ekundayo Julius, a police officer and a prosecution witness, has debunked the claims made by Evans that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Human Rights Activist, Femi Falana (SAN) visited him while detained at the office of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja. Cross-examination by Olanrewaju Ajanaku, counsel to Evans, Julius said, “Femi Falana never came to our office.” The presiding Judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, adjourned the matter till January 6, 2019, for the continuation of trial.]]>