The alleged kidnapper Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, aka Evans, said on Friday he was innocent of the charges levelled against him before the Lagos State Special Criminal Court in Ikeja.
Evans, who faces four counts of kidnapping and unlawful possession of a firearm, claims he is not a criminal but is involved in a legitimate haulage business and has about 30 workers on his payroll.
He claimed that he was made to confess to the crime under pressure. Evans, who is on trial alongside former soldier Victor Aduba, made the case in a follow-up to his trial on Friday.
Newsglobal gathered that Evans denied kidnapping a businessman, Sylvanus Ahomonu, and collecting a $420,000 ransom from his family.
The alleged kidnap kingpin said he did not mention his haulage and logistics business in his statement because it was written by police.
In response to questions, Evans said he also did not provide medical documents proving alleged torture by police to the court. He did, however, noted that when he was jailed, he had filed a fundamental human rights lawsuit against police at the Federal High Court, Lagos, over alleged torture.
SKJ