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.
In addition, Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi mandated that the kidnapper who was found guilty pay the claimant N50m in general damages.
Dunu, a pharmacist, was abducted on February, 14, 2017 and held captive with ransom collected from his family, before he managed to escape from captivity.
Later, Dunu—the CEO of Maydon Pharmaceutical Company—filed a civil lawsuit, asking the court to order Evans to repay him the €233,000 he had paid as ransom.
In addition, he sought N50m in general damages.
Evans, however, asserted in his defense that the criminal charge marked 1D/5970C/2017 brought against him and others was the main factor supporting the claimant’s case.
Evans claimed that during his criminal prosecution, a witness named Okagwu testified that he dropped the €233,000 ransom on the ground before escaping.
Although he had been found guilty, he claimed that the case had been appealed.
However, Justice Ogunjobi concluded that Evans’ evidence was contradictory.
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 supports 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.” ValidViewNetwork reports.
