Evans and accomplice sentenced to 21 years in jail after court finds them guilty of kidnapping

KIDNAPPING kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike popularly known as Evans has been sentenced to 21 years in jail by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja Special Offences Court along with his accomplice former soldier Victor Aduba.

Sentencing the two of them for kidnapping one Sylvanus Hafia, the judge, who handed down the verdict without an option of fine, said the sentences would run concurrently. On count one, she convicted and sentenced Evans and Aduba to five years imprisonment, while for the second count, she sentenced them to 21 years imprisonment for kidnapping and five years for the unlawful possession of firearms.

Legal luminary Professor Sam Erugo, said the court had the discretion on what sentence to pass. He added that in the case of Evans who had multiple charges pending before different courts, for as long they pass the judgments, they would run concurrently.

Professor Erugo said: “I think 21 years is virtually life imprisonment. People arguing that the sentence should be stiffer, even a life sentence doesn’t mean that he will be there all his life. After a certain time, they may exercise some leniency and let the person go.

 “21 years is still a very stiff penalty so even after spending the 21 years in prison, the other conviction of life sentence will still hold him there until if we have a lenient governor, maybe in one of the jail releases, they can let him go. 21 years is not a small sentence, it depends on what was before the court.”

Other legal gurus like Olu Daramola, Isiaku Olagunju and Ifedayo Adedipe, said the sentence will serve as a deterrent to other criminals. Evans and Aduba were found guilty of conspiring and kidnapping Sylvanus Hafia around 5.30pm on June 23, 2014, at Kara Street, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos State and then demanding a ransom of $420,000 for his release.