Court orders Nigerian billionaire kidnap kingpin, Evans yo pay €233,000, N50Million to abducted victim

The Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) has ordered billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, to refund the sum of 233,000 Euros collected as ransom from one of his victims, Chief Donatus Dunu.

In 2018, Duru filed the suit before the court demanding a refund of the £223,000 he allegedly paid as ransom to Evans while being held captive.

He was abducted on February 14, 2017 for ransom and held hostage, before he managed to escape from captivity.

Duru also demanded N50 million in damages from Evans for his abduction.

In his judgment, Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi held that the defendant gave inconsistent evidence and cannot be regarded as a witness of truth.

The Judge also stated that having watched the demeanour of the defendant in the witness box while giving evidence, he came to the conclusion that his evidence cannot be trusted.

“It’s settled law that no witness who gives materially inconsistent evidence on oath is entitled to the honour of being accorded with any credibility and as such does not deserve to be treated as a truthful witness.

“Besides 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, repaid or recover from the defendant, the sum of €233,000 (Two Hundred and Thirty-Three Euros) 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.

“The sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) is awarded as general damages in favour of the claimant against the defendant.

“Post-judgment interest is awarded on the said sum of €233,000 at the rate of 10% per annum from judgment i.e. 14th of February, 2023 until final liquidation. The adjudged said sum of €233,000 and N50,000,000 is hereby ordered to be paid or recovered from the assets of the defendant. This is the Judgment of the Court.”

The court however refused the claim for pre-judgement interest of 40 percent per annum on the €233,000.