A prosecution witness, Anselem Dunu, on Friday told an Ikeja High Court how billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans refused to release his brother, Donatus Dunu despite paying him the sum of €223,000, equivalent of N100m.
Donatus, who is the Chairman of Maydon Pharmaceutical Limited, was kidnapped on February 14, 2017, by Evans and his gang.
The witness, Anselem Dunu, the elder brother of Donatus Dunu, told an Ikeja High Court that Evans did not release his brother even after collecting 223,000 Euros.
Dunu told the Justice Hakeem Oshodi -led court that his brother was in the kidnapper’s den for four months.
According to Dunu, during the period, the kidnappers through phone calls threatened him and demanded for 100 million Euros.
He said, “On the 14th of February I received a phone call from my younger brother, Innocent Dunu, informing me about my brother’s kidnap.
“We rushed to the Ilupeju Police Station where we reported the case. We were referred to SCID Panti where the CSP in charge told me that the pattern of kidnapping was similar to that of the notorious kidnapper, Evans.
“The CSP further told me to be strong adding that Evans would contact me in two weeks as it was his pattern, and that I should be strong because the kind of money they would ask us to bring can make me faint.
“After two weeks a private number called me and I heard my brother’s voice at the other end begging me to close all his bank accounts and give the kidnappers all the money. My brother’s voice was anxious and filled with pain. I told him that there was no way I could access his accounts since I was not a signatory. The call ended abruptly.
“I was contacted again after four days and my brother sounded more desperate, begging me not to allow him die in captivity.
“The kidnappers grabbed the phone from my brother and demanded for one million Euros, to which I replied that we were only able to raise N20m. The voice on the other end started saying, ‘thunder fire you. Go and get us our money’ and the call ended.
“I rallied round and managed to raise N60m which I informed the kidnappers when they called after three days. The kidnapper demanded for 1m Euros if I wanted to see my brother alive.
“The kidnapper threatened to kill me whenever I bring the money. He also insisted that I must be the one to bring the money. I could hear my brother’s voice in the background pleading for mercy and shouting, “please stop beating me.
“We were finally able to raise N100m which we changed into 223,000 Euros. They contacted me and I told them what we were able to raise. They thereafter told me they would contact me.
“They contacted me and I arranged with my cousin, Uche Okeagbu, to take the money to them. They demanded I give the phone to Uche, and instructed him to bring the money to Oshodi.
“We packaged the money in cellophane bags and Uche took it to them in Oshodi. After they collected the 223,000 Euros, they stopped calling.
“Sometimes in May, I got a call from my younger brother who told me that my brother Donatus had escaped from the kidnappers den.
“When we were finally reunited with him, he was in a very critical condition. He was emaciated. His beard was so bushy and white. In short, he looked like an early man.
“At the Bourdillon Police Headquaters the 4th defendant, Okuchukwu Nwachukwu, was paraded as the one that tipped off Evans about my brother.
“I know Nwachukwu very well. He is my very good friend and I fondly call him Congo. He apologised profusely when he saw me and told me that it was the devil and greed that pushed him into kidnapping.
“Evans was also paraded as the mastermind behind the kidnap. When Evans was asked why he chose my brother, he said it was a random act, adding that one of his boys was not feeling fine and had bought a drug manufactured by Maydon Pharmaceutical Limited. He also said when he checked the manufacturer’s address, he contacted Nwachukwu, who gave him details of my brother’s movements.”
After listening to Dunu’s testimony, Justice Oshodi, adjourned the matter till November 17 for continuation of trial.
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