Billionaire Kidnapper Evans’ Lawyer Absent From Court, Feigns illness Over Lawsuit Seeking N300m From Nigerian Police

Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, the counsel of detained notorious kidnapper Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a. Evans failed to appear for the hearing on the N300 million fundamental human rights lawsuit he initiated against the Nigerian Inspector General of Police (IGP) for “unlawful” detention of the kidnap kingpin.

The case, scheduled for today before Justice Abdulaziz Anka of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, could not proceed as Mr. Ogungbeje, was absent in court claiming he took ill.

Ogungbeje had written to the court, seeking an adjournment on the grounds of ill health.

But Justice Anka awarded a punitive cost of N20,000 against him for what he described as unprofessional conduct.

The judge noted that while Ogungbeje wrote to the court, seeking an adjournment on the grounds of ill health, he did not send a copy of the letter to the counsel to the police.

According to the judge, it is unprofessional for a lawyer to communicate with a judge without carrying the other parties along.

The judge warned Ogungbeje to desist from such conduct.