Evans the alleged kidnapper’s lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, said the suspect was forced to plead guilty to the offences, claiming that he was never allowed to have consultations with him until yesterday when he was brought to court.
Evans who was arraigned by the Lagos State Government before Justice Hakeem Oshodi alongside his accomplices on a two-count charge of conspiracy pleaded guilty.
Arraigned with Evans amidst tight security within and outside the court premises are Uche Amadi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu who also pleaded guilty to the charges. Others are Ogechi Uchechukwu, the only female amongst them, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Chukwunonso Aduba who all pleaded not guilty. Justice Oshodi ordered that all the male defendants be remanded at Kirikiri Maximum Prison while the female defendant, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges, be kept at the Kirikiri Female Prison.
His lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, has claimed that the suspect was forced to plead guilty to the offences, claiming that he was never allowed to have consultations with him until yesterday when he was brought to court.
In a press statement issued and signed by Ogungbeje, he noted : “After the purported guilty plea of our client and the court rose. We stressed to have brief discussion time with our client and ‘he told us clearly that the police told him to plea guilty failure to which the police will kill him. ” This is definitely unconstitutional and we intend to challenge this unconstitutional procedure for hoodwink, undue influence, brainwashing and coercing on an accused into entering a guilty plea against his wish and freewill. “He pointedly told us that being informed now, he will change his ‘police motivated guilty plea’ to ‘not guilty’ at the next adjourned date.
”It is settled law that plea of guilty must be made voluntary and direct devoid of any influence, coercion and manipulation. “In the meantime, after our brief conferring with our client in open court, he made it known to us that he will change his police motivated guilty plea to not guilty at the next adjourned date. We have a responsibility to assist the cause of justice in accordance with the law.”
Police forced my client to plead guilty says Ogungbeje, Evans’ lawyer
