Evans and three other accomplices, Joseph Emeka, Chiemeka Arinze and Udeme Upong, were billed to be brought before Justice Adenike Coker but their arraignment failed to hold.
The re-arraignment of billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwamadike, a.k.a Evans, before an Ikeja High Court for a kidnap offence was stalled on Thursday, January 18, due to the absence of two other co-defendants.
Evans and three other accomplices, Joseph Emeka, Chiemeka Arinze and Udeme Upong, were billed to be brought before Justice Adenike Coker but their arraignment failed to hold.
While Evans and Emeka who are 1st and 2nd defendants, were present in court, Arinze and Upong, who are 3rd and 4th defendants, were absent.
When asked by Justice Coker, the whereabouts of the other accomplices, the state prosecutor, Ms Titi Adeegbe could not provide any useful information on why they failed to appear before the court.
Adeegbe told the court that the third and fourth defendants were absent and that she had no information as to their current status.
The defence counsel, representing Evans, Ms Mary Dibiaeze, reminded the court that the third defendant had died, while the fourth defendant was discharged from the case.
The counsel to the second defendant, Mr Nelson Onyejaka informed the court that they had not been served proof of evidence by the prosecution.
At this stage, Justice Coker instructed the prosecution to tidy up its house and ensure that the counsels were properly served.
She ordered that proof of service should be provided in court before the next adjourned date.
The judge, thereafter, adjourned the matter until February 1 for arraignment.
It would be recalled that Evans had been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice Hakeem Oshodi sometime in February 2022.
Evans and his co-defendants were later sentenced to 21 years imprisonment by retired Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo before her retirement in 2022.
