Evans’ Co-defendant Sentenced to Five Years For Arms sales

An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Friday sentenced Frank Udeme, one of the co-defendants of the convicted billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, commonly called Evans, to five years in the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo sentenced Udeme for selling firearms to Evans after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

The judge ordered that the sentence would take effect from the day he was remanded in custody which is July 6, 2017.

Earlier, the counsel to the third defendant, A. B. Josiah, had notified the court about the defendant’s change of plea.

The charge was re-read to the defendant and he pleaded guilty to counts six and seven.

The Director, Directorate of Public Prosecution, Dr Babatunde Martins, told the court that the third defendant admitted to having sold two AK47 and 270 AK47 live ammunition to Evans.

Martins said Udeme made a statement on July 7, 2017, admitting to the offence.

The prosecutor said, “He admitted to having met the first defendant and sold two AK47 and 270 AK47 live ammunition to him.

“In his statement, he said he got the weapons from his community.

“According to him, the weapons were given to him by his community to fight the inter-communal crisis.

“Evans sent his driver, Emeka, to retrieve the ammunition from him. In his statement, he wrote and I quote ‘I sold the ammunition to Evans for N400,000 but he only paid me N200,000. Ever since, I have not seen him,”

Martins said the defendant’s statement had been admitted into evidence, adding that the offence contravened Section 9(2) of the Firearms Act and was punishable under Section 27(b) (iii) of the same Act.