The suspected billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, better known as Evans, has filed an application before a Lagos state high court seeking to be released on bail and for his case to be given an accelerated hearing.

He is being tried on several counts of criminal charges bothering on alleged conspiracy, murder and kidnapping. Evans, who is being held at Kirikiri prison, has pleaded guilty to the kidnapping charges leveled against him.

At the resumed sitting of his trial on Friday, his bail application was, however, rejected by the persecuting counsel who described it as an abuse of court process and an attempt to frustrate the trial.

The Lagos state director of public prosecutions, Titilayo Shitta-Bay, described the bail application, seeking accelerated hearing filed alongside an application seeking to quash the charges as conflicting, confusing and an abuse of court processes.

While court proceedings are still underway, 360nobs had earlier reported that Evans may be sentenced to death or get life imprisonment after the Lagos state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode signed into law, the state kidnapping prohibition bill, 2016 which prescribes life imprisonment or death penalty for the offence of Kidnapping and forceful extortion in Lagos State.

Literally, the bill – which was passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly on January 5 – provides death penalty for kidnappers whose victims die in their custody, and life imprisonment for the act of kidnapping.