Kidnapper Evans poses like a star in court asking why he is being badly treated in custody

NOTORIOUS kidnapper Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike popularly known as Evans has lamented the fact that he is being maltreated in custody asking a judge what he has done to deserve such treatment claiming prison officials are making his case personal.

For years, Evans, who originally hails from Nnewi in Anambra State, terrorised Nigeria, masterminding a series of high profile kidnapping. He was caught about a year ago following an aggressive police manhunt which led to his arrest in the Magodo area of Lagos where he lived in luxury.

Following his arrest, Evans has been charged and yesterday appeared before the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere where he was produced for arraignment on two fresh charges of kidnapping. In a dramatic twist to the case though, Evans staged a protest in court, saying he was being badly treated.

After initially refusing to alight from the prison van in protest, he was eventually brought into the courtroom by warders on the order of Justice Adedayo Akintoye. Upon entering the court, Evans then broke down in tears as he entered the courtroom bare-footed and in handcuffs, wearing  a pair of shorts and a green T-shirt that was torn on the shoulder with stains on the back.

As he entered the court, Evans said: “I have an explanation to make. Since I have been in the maximum prison, they have been maltreating me, as I have had no visit, they don’t feed me well, I have eye problem and I cannot see far.”

However, he was countered by one of the prison officials, who maintained that Evans was being given the same treatment as other inmates. Retorting, Evans countered this saying he was only seen by a nurse rather than a doctor.

“We have been treating him very well, he is well fed and people have been visiting him. A doctor has been checking him and the doctor came to check him yesterday and even this morning before coming to court because he was saying he can’t be in court, that he is not feeling fine.

“But when the doctor checked him yesterday and this morning, the doctor said he was healthy and that he saw no reason why he couldn’t be in court,” the prison official said.

Titilayo Shitta-Bey, the Lagos State director of prosecutions, said Evans was only making up an excuse, urging the court not to buy it. She added that was the same thing he said before an Ikeja High Court and they then wrote the prisons and they wrote us back saying he was being taken care of like every other inmate.

Reacting, Justice Akintoye directed the prison officials to ensure that Evans and his co-defendants were treated like other inmates, noting that they were still presumed innocent. Justice Akintoye then adjourned the case until May 25, for the commencement of trial.