Why we won’t release 10 Mack trucks seized from Evans — Police

The police have opposed a suit filed by suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, also known as Evans, demanding that trucks recovered from him be released.

The police through a counter-affidavit deposed to by a police Inspector, Haruna Idowu, said the trucks had been kept and preserved to be used as exhibits in the ongoing trial of the suspect.

Evans had on Thursday accused officials of the Nigerian Police of converting certain items recovered from him for their personal use.

Olukoya Ogungbeje, lawyer to the suspected kidnapper, in a fresh suit against the police, demanded the release of 25 Mack trucks which he said were seized from Evans.

Mr. Ogungbeje said in the suit that the trucks were seized without a court order, an action he described as a violation of his client’s right

But the police said Evans acquired the 11 trucks with proceeds of crime, stressing that 10 of them were recovered by the police and had been listed as exhibits in the criminal charges filed against the suspected kidnapper.

The affidavit reads in part: “The applicant is the notorious and most dreaded armed robber and kidnapper known as Evans, who defied police arrest for over 10 years and who had terrorised many states of Nigeria with his various gang members.

“The applicant has no other source of livelihood except armed robbery and kidnapping as so many arms and ammunition were recovered from the applicant during his arrest.

“The applicant had purchased various properties with proceeds of armed robbery and kidnapping.

“The applicant purchased 11 trucks with proceeds of crime. The police recovered 10 in Lagos while they were not able to tow the remaining one from Anambra State to Lagos due to the fact that the applicant’s brother-in-law, Mr. Okwuchukwu Obiechina, and his wife had tampered with the brain box of the truck in a bid to pervert the course of justice.

“The trucks recovered are proceeds of crime which are preserved and kept as exhibits to be tendered in the ongoing criminal prosecution of the application at the High Court of Lagos State.”

Meanwhile, the judge, Hadizat Shagari, has adjourned the matter till April 17, 2018.