Suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, aka Evans’ lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje was on Thursday slammed N20,000 “punitive cost” for professional misconduct.
Justice Abdulazeez Anka of the Federal High Court, Lagos, said the cost must be paid before July 20.
Evans’ fundamental rights case was billed to be heard by the Judge, but his lawyer wrote the judge claiming to be ill.
Ogungbeje apologised for his absence and asked for adjournment.
But, Mr Emmanuel Eze, who represented Lagos State Commissioner of Police, opposed Ogungbeje’s application for adjournment.
He said the applicant’s lawyer did not inform the police that he would be absent, adding that any other lawyer from Ogungbeje’s office could have come to represent Evans.
According to him, it is an “affront” to the court for Ogungbeje not to send another lawyer to stand in for him.
“In view of this, we are of the view that the applicant’s counsel is most unserious with this application. We, therefore, ask for a punitive cost of N100,000 against the applicant and his counsel,” he said.
Awarding the N20,000 cost, Justice Anka said: “Counsel wrote a letter seeking for an adjournment without copying the prosecution. This, to me, is unprofessional. The court hereby warns counsel to desist from such type of practice.”
The judge said the facts before him showed that the applicant was still in police custody.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that Evans recently dragged the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris before the Federal High Court in Lagos over his alleged illegal detention.
He prayed the court to order his immediate release if they cannot arraign him in court immediately.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that Evans recently filed another fresh suit against the Inspector General of Police, and three others at a Federal High Court in Lagos.
In the new suit, Evans is claiming N300 million as general and exemplary damages against the police for “illegal detention and unconstitutional media trial”.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that Evans was represented in court by Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that the billionaire kingpin was arrested in Lagos on Saturday, June 10 while preparing to travel out of the country. The arrest was carried out by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and led by ACP Abba Kyari.