Suspected kidnapper Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, also known as Evans, has confessed that he could assess the worth of his victims based on their appearance. This revelation came to light during the trial on Friday, January 10, along with five other co-defendants, over the alleged kidnapping of Donatus Dunu, the CEO of Maydon Pharmaceutical Ltd.
In a video played during the court session, Evans shared how his victims paid six-figure ransoms, often in foreign currencies, to secure their release.
Prior to the video, the state prosecutor Idowu Haruna detailed how Evans spent the ransoms allegedly received from his victims. He disclosed that the funds were used to purchase properties and establish businesses.
“The investigation revealed that the ransoms collected by the first defendant were used to purchase houses and other properties. He also invested in the haulage business, and some of the trucks bought with the ransoms were recovered by the police.”
When asked how he selected his targets during cross-examination, Evans stated, “When you see someone that has money, you will know,” and revealed that he knew his victims would sell their properties to raise the ransom money.
Additionally, Evans admitted that Victor Aduba, a dismissed army officer, accompanied him during the kidnap operations but claimed that Aduba did not participate in the abduction of Dunu.
Following the video presentation, the prosecution closed its case against Evans and his co-defendants. However, the defense counsel pointed out that Evans never identified Aduba as a participant in the kidnapping of Dunu.
According to information provided by the victim, the kidnappers who abducted him were in army camouflage, supporting the claim that most of the kidnappings involved the participation of the sixth defendant. It was also verified that the sixth defendant did not take part in the abduction of Dunu.
The six defendants were initially charged on August 30, 2017, with two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping. Four witnesses, including Mr. Dunu, testified during the trial.