Billionaire Kidnapper Evans Becomes Prison Teacher, Seeks Plea Bargain

Convicted billionaire kidnapper Evans has reportedly taken up teaching in prison while pushing for a plea bargain deal to reduce his sentence.

Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, the convicted billionaire kidnap kingpin widely known as Evans, has disclosed that he is now serving as a teacher at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre. He instructs fellow inmates after earning a diploma in Economics from Yewa College of Education.

Evans revealed this information while requesting leniency at the Lagos State High Court located in Tafa Balewa Square.

He declared his resolve to leave behind a life of crime and make a positive impact on society.

In accordance with his plea bargain agreement, Evans proposed relinquishing all his properties if the court would review his application on compassionate grounds.

He committed to handing over his 14 new trucks to the Lagos State Government for sale, with the proceeds intended for transfer to the victims of his criminal activities as part of a proposed plea bargain agreement.

This is the second instance in which Evans has petitioned a court for a plea bargain related to his role in kidnapping.

He requested a plea bargain from Justice Adenike Coker at the Ikeja High Court on January 30, 2025.

Evans faced five criminal cases in different high courts throughout Lagos State.

Two of these have already led to convictions, with one resulting in a life sentence and the other a 21-year prison term.

Evans, with his lawyer Mr. Etudo Emefo representing him, conveyed remorse for his actions in an application submitted to Justice Sherifat Sonaike. He stated that he had experienced a transformation during his time at Kirikiri Maximum Prison.

He stated that the Federal Government awarded him a scholarship during his time in prison.

He implored the Lagos State Government for leniency, explaining that without their forgiveness, the Federal Government’s scholarship would become ineffective.

He added that being unable to apply the new skills he learned during his time in prison would result in a waste of government resources.

According to the legal documents submitted to the court, while Evans was incarcerated, the Federal Government provided him and other inmates with opportunities for further education.

Evans accepted the offer and received a scholarship.

Consequently, he obtained a National Certificate in Education specializing in Economics and has transitioned into a teaching career, no longer seeing himself as involved in criminal activities.

Copies of his NCE certificate and project work were included as appendices.

Furthermore, Evans received an admission offer from the National Open University of Nigeria through a scholarship program provided by the Federal Government.

He is now in his second year as a Political Science student.

The court received his admission letter and student ID card as part of the application.

Evans mentioned that he completed training in welding and metal fabrication with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, passing all necessary exams successfully.

An appendix containing a copy of the test results was included.

On Thursday, when the trial was scheduled to commence, prosecuting counsel Alaba Kuku informed Justice Sherifat Sonaike that the defendants had expressed interest in negotiating plea bargain agreements with the state government.

He confirmed that Evans’ lawyer, Etudo, had provided him with an advance copy of the application currently under consideration by the state government.

Evans, along with his co-defendants Joseph Emeka, Victor Aduba, and Linus Opara, is pursuing plea bargain agreements.

The four men are facing a trial on five charges related to conspiracy, kidnapping, and attempted murder. The case is being heard by Justice Sonaike, who took over in January 2023 after the retirement of Justice Adedayo Akintoye and began proceedings anew.

Other counsel—Emeka Azubuike for the second defendant, Chinyere Udeh for the third defendant, and Emmanuel Ochai representing the fourth defendant—confirmed this development to the court.

However, the third defendant’s counsel stated that he had not yet submitted his plea bargain application to the state government via the Attorney General’s office.

As a result, Justice Sonaike postponed the case to April 17, 2025, for a report on the plea bargain applications.