Tobias Sylvester
The police on Wednesday revealed how the Chairman of Young Shall Grow Motors, Chief Vincent Obianuju, was allegedly shot in a gun battle by suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (alias Evans), along with two of his escorts.
According to Pulse, Evans is standing trial alongside Joseph Emeka, 29, Chiemeka Arinze, 39, and Udeme Upong, 43, on a seven-count charge of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, attempt to kidnap, and sale and transfer of firearms.
The prosecutor, Mr Haroun Adebayo, called the first witness, Insp. Idowu Haruna, attached to the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team, which arrested the accused and conducted investigations, to narrate the outcome of the investigations.
Haruna testified that the chairman of Young Shall Grow Motors was attacked by the accused on Third Avenue, Festac Town, Lagos in 2013.
“I recognise 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 engaged the YSG chairman in a gun battle, and he was shot on his left 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 the gang members were shot dead by Inspector Solomon Igwe, while the rest fled the scene.
“Two rifles belonging to the gang members were later recovered by the Festac Police Division, where the case was reported and the corpses were later removed by the police.
“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 was 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 detailed information about his routine.
“He said that anytime the chairman was going out to play games in the evening, he never went with escorts.
“But on the Aug. 27, 2017, the defendants never knew that the victim was with escort; that was how they met their waterloo.”
“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.”
“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 made a confessional statement that he had been into the crime for a long time.
“He has no other job, this is his means of livelihood,” he added.
“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.”
Justice Taiwo Solebo, who ordered accelerated hearing, adjourned the case until Feb. 6 for continuation of trial.
