TO CHANGE PLEA TO NOT GUILTY DURING TRIAL
Emmanuel Thomas l Wednesday, August 30, 2017
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – Celebrity kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans will enter a not guilty plea at the next sitting, his lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje has said.
He was charged to court with five others. They are Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Chukwunonso Aduba. But lawyer to the kidnapper said the statement became neccessary because of what he called ” police motivated guilty plea by our client Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike aka Evans”.
He averred that his client has been in police custody since 10th June, 2017, adding that till date, his lawyer and family members have been denied access to him.
He added that the date of arraignment was brought to his notice via the social media.
“We sought for adjournment to enable us confer with our client in line with the provisions of section 36(6) 2 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but same was turned down by the court. Moreso, the information charge sheet was served on us in open court on thesame day of arraignment”, he said.
According to him, after turning down his request, Justice Hakeem Oshodi ordered the charge sheet to be read to him and others despite his plea.
“After the purported guilty plea of our client and the court rose, we stressed to have brief discussion time with our client and he told is clearly that the police told him to plea guilty, failure to which the police will kill him”, he said.
He described the development as unconstitutional, adding that he intends to challenge ” this unconstitutional procedure for hoodwinking, undue influence, brainstorming and coersion on an accused into entering a guilty plea against his freewill.
“He pointedly told us that being informed now, he will change his ‘Police motivated plea’ to not guilty plea at the next adjourned date, October 19, 2017.
