I took to crime after my father disowned me - kidnap kingpin, Evans
Evans, who received millions of dollars as ransom from his victims, during his reign as an ingenious kidnapper in the country, told Vanguard exclusively that he was forced to drop out of school while in Junior Secondary School Class 2, when his father, Steven Onwuamadike, drove his mother, Chinwe, away and got married to another woman. Driven away from home Evans in his disclosure, explained that his father, who is a businessman asked him to join another business man, a spare parts dealer, also in Nnewi, who he served for five years without settlement because the man later accused him of stealing. This development, according to him, embarrassed his father so much that he drove him out of his house.
Evans who is a
native of Akamili, Umudim Quarters, Nnewi, Anambra State, stated that his
father’s action affected him deeply and he was forced to move into his mother’s
house. He said his mother accepted him and she also raised money for him which
he used in travelling to Lagos. While in Lagos, Evans disclosed that he started
selling diesel to luxury buses and truck drivers at Alafia Bus-stop along
Lagos-Badagry Expressway. He explained that, while he was selling diesel, he
slept in a bus garage and that was where he joined a robbery gang.
Evans’ first robbery gang specialized in
attacking luxury buses plying the East – West Road, at night. Police sources
explained that Evans was involved in several highway robberies from which he
raised enough money with which he travelled to South Africa. A former
anti-robbery police operative attached to Orile Police Station, who pleaded
anonymity, disclosed that Evans and his gang specialized in robbing traders in
luxury buses travelling at night on the road.
The ex-policeman added that Evans
who had several informants around motor parks in Alafia, Maza-Maza and Jibowu
areas of Lagos State, used to obtain firsthand information on the movements of
traders coming to Lagos State with huge amounts of money from informants working at major luxury buses
parks across the country. The source disclosed that Evans and his gang would
attack these buses on the highway and dispossess the passengers of their cash
and other valuables, explaining that some of his gang members were arrested and
when the police were closing in on him, he fled the country to return a few
years later and relocated to the East. Forming another gang It was gathered
that while in the East, he formed another dangerous gang that started robbing
and kidnapping wealthy business men especially in the commercial city of
Onitsha in Anambra State and Aba in Abia State.
When his notoriety soared in
criminal circles, other robbery gangs started seeking him. That was how he became the financier of arms
and armourer for the fearless and deadly armed robbery kingpin in the east from
Nkanu in Enugu State, popularly called Ngwu Ekekere Omu, who robbed banks all over the country until
he was killed in Anambra by a military patrol team that blocked a road on a
tip-off from members of the Special anti-Robbery
Squad, SARS, in Awka. Evans Bloody robbery operation at Nsukka Afterwards, he
carried out a bloody robbery operation at the university town of Nsukka, Enugu
State, where he killed among others, a
Divisional Police Officer and later shot the SARS Commander in Enugu in the
knee while they were pursuing him along Adani/Otuocha road. During that
operation, he also burnt down Nsukka Police Station after raiding one of the
banks and as he was escaping from the scene with his gang, they threw bundles
of crisp Naira notes in different denominations to the cheering crowd and
commercial motorcyclists, including school children who were on their way home.
Ngwu Ekere Omu died in 2009 and most of his gang members were hunted down and
eliminated by members of the Special anti-Robbery Squad in Enugu and Anambra
states. Police sources said Evans participated actively in that deadly
operation and later, after some of their gang members including their leader
were killed, he again escaped abroad. Going into full-time kidnapping On his
return, according to sources, he veered into full time kidnapping with Lagos as
his base. He used to pose as a spare
parts dealer from South Africa with proceeds of his crime.
Reports also
alleged that he participated in some operations with another notorious killer,
Vampire, who was later killed by the Police after plotting his escape from
Owerri court in Imo State, while on trial. Investigations revealed that Evans
later linked up with another notorious kidnapper called Henry Hunchman in
Anambra State and they coordinated several kidnappings. They were later chased
out of Anambra State.
‘’When
Hunchman came in, we carried out two big kidnappings that yielded N150 million,
but Hunchman who owned the arms and ammunition, ran away with the money.’’
Escapades during MD Abubakar’s era as IGP.
Investigation also revealed further that Evans’ activities became so
troubling that the then Inspector -General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar,
deployed one of his key operatives, Patrick Ejedawe, who was the Commander of
Mopol 2 Squadron Command, Lagos, to Edo State, to track him and his members down. It was learned that
Ejedawe, now an Assistant Commissioner of Police, mopped up all members of the
gang except Evans, Hunch-man and Sudo, who fled to Ghana. Sources disclosed
that betrayals in the gang aided the police in mopping up the gang members,
leading to the death of members like Benin Papa, Odionosa, Okey, Igbo Papa and
many others who were killed by the Police in gun battles.
Our source
further disclosed that Evans, Hunch-man and Sudo eventually came back to
Nigeria and were based in Lagos, when Ejedawe was redeployed from Edo State by
a new Inspector-General of Police.
At that
point, Evans and his gang terrorised
residents of Festac Town, Amuwo Odofin, Ojo and Ajao Estate areas of Lagos
State before he was arrested.
Meanwhile, Femi
Falana SAN, spoke as human rights lawyer and critic, called on the Inspector-
General of police, Ibrahim Idris, to ensure that the notorious kidnap kingpin
is well-protected in police custody for him and his accomplices to face justice
squarely. Commending the Police for a good job, towards ensuring that crime,
especially kidnapping is eradicated in the country, Falana urged the Force to ensure the arrest of
other accomplices, investigate them deeply
and arraign them for prosecution
Falana said: “The
Nigeria Police Force deserves commendation for the recent arrest of a notorious
kidnap kingpin, Chukwudi Onwuamadike, a.k.a ‘Evans.’ Since he is alleged to
have named his accomplices, they should all be arrested by the Police without
any delay. ”All the members of the criminal syndicate should be charged to
court for trial.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, should
ensure that the kingpin is adequately protected in custody. “This is one
suspect that should not be shot dead while trying to escape from custody. If
Evans is killed in custody, his evidence will be destroyed to the detriment of
the society as his accomplices will continue their nefarious business of kidnapping
and killing innocent members of the public,”.
Vanguard
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