A Lagos High Court has ordered kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, to refund the sum of €233,000 ransom he coercively collected from one of his victims, Chief Donatus Dunu.
Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi of the Court also ruled on Wednesday that Evans should pay N50 million as general damages to the victim.
Evans had been convicted by two Judges for kidnapping and sentenced.
Dunu had instituted the suit on May 16, 2018 to recover the ransom he paid the convict after he was abducted on February 14, 2017, and held hostage, before he escaped from captivity.
Chief Duru earlier claimed that Evans collected the sum of €233,000 as ransom prior to his escape from abduction. He also demanded the sum of N50 million as damages.
Duru who is the CEO of Maydon Pharmaceutical Company filed Suit No: LD/5243GCM/2018 demanding the return of the sum of £223,000 he paid as ransom while in the custody of the kidnap kingpin.
In his testimony before the court, the claimant, a pharmacist, said that he was abducted on 14th February, 2017, for ransom and held hostage, before he escaped from captivity.
Upon his escape he alleged that the Defendant collected the sum of €233,000 as ransom prior to his escape from abduction.
The claimant added that the defendant also asked him to instruct his brothers, Anslem Dunu and Innocent Dunu to pay the ransom.
He stated that the sum of €233,000 was paid but the Defendant refused to release him. He eventually escaped from captivity.
He was not cross examined despite several adjournments for cross examination.
Also, the claimant’s brother, Anslem Dunu gave evidence on behalf of the claim and adopted his witness statement on oath sworn to on 16th May, 2022.
His evidence is that on 14th February, 2017, his brother, one Innocent Dunu informed him that the claimant was abducted.
The next day he spoke with the claimant on phone who instructed him to pay his abductors N100 million as ransom for his release.
He stated that the abductors later demanded £1million. His relation, one Uchenna Okagwu delivered €233,000 to the abductors. He was not cross examined.
However, in his defence, the defendant contended that the strength of the claimant’s case is predicated majorly upon criminal trial against him and others in Suit No. 1D/5970C/2017.
The defendant also submitted that the only evidence before the court as to the payment of €233,000 and to whom if any it was paid to was the evidence of Uchenna Okagwu who allegedly delivered the money to the abductors.
