National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
Folake Sokoya & Utulu Andrew
Chukwiudi Onuamadike a.k.a Evans was first declared wanted in August 2015 when he masterminded the attempted kidnap OF Chief Vincent Obianudo, the CEO of the Young Shall Grow Motors in Festac area of Lagos state. It was gathered that Evans was the only one that escaped while three of his gang members lost their lives in the attempted foiled kidnap.
The notorious kidnapper Evans who was arrested by special task force comprising the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team led 0by ACP Abba Kyarri, the Lagos state police command anti- kidnapping unit and the Technical Intelligent Unit of the force under the supervision of the Lagos state commissioner, Fatai Owoseni on Sunday, June 10, said that he started the kidnapping business in 2015 after losing the sum of N20m to custom officers while trying to smuggle spare part into the country.
He was said to have engaged the special task force team in a gun battle on sighting them at his Magodo Estate residence before he was finally apprehended.
While confessing to journalists, Evans said topmost on his list of tactics was making sure that none of his gang members knows his house. He added that until his arrest, he was the leader of two different gangs while the highest ransom he has collected since he ventured into the kidnapping business is the sum of $1m.
Evans as he is popularly called stated further that he decided to demand his ransom in foreign currencies to carve a niche for himself in the underworld. The Nnewi born suspect also confessed to being responsible for the several kidnaps of prominent and notable Nigerians in the Western, Eastern, South- South and in some Northern states, adding that he has lost count of how many people he has kidnapped before meeting his Waterloo.
Rumored to be the richest in the kidnapping business, Evans, who was arrested at his Magodo mansion in Lagos on Saturday, June 10 following a raid on his hideout at No 21, Prophet Asaye Close, Igando, Lagos state said one Kinsley introduced him to the kidnapping business.
“It is a guy called Kinsley introduced me to the business and I usually get my ammunitions from one Chinedu and Ehis whom I met at Ago-Iwoye in Ogun state. I can’t readily figure out how much I have collected in totality from this business but or how many people I have kidnapped but I can tell you that I have kidnapped more than twelve victims since 2015 that I started kidnapping.” Evans narrated.
On how he coordinates his operation, he said “I work in two groups, a team moves with me to kidnap the victims while we hand over to the other team that takes the victim to the hide out at no.21, Prophet Asaye Close, New Igando here in Lagos. I choose to collect my ransoms in dollars to be different and the maximum I have collected as ransom so far is $1m and I also do drug business which has enabled me to buy many properties.”
While parading the notorious suspect, the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, listed Mr. Mbarikatta Williams Uboma, Paul Cole, a director with Ocean glory Commodities, Apapa, Mohammed Jamal, a Lebanese, Kingsley Nwoketa, Anthony Ozoanidobi, Leo Abraham, Ojukwu Cosmos, James Uduji, Chief Raymond Okoye, Elias Ukachukwu, Francis Umeh and Danatus Dunu as some of Evans victims.
Moshood disclosed that five AK 47 rifles, one AK-49 rifle, two double barrel long, two English pistols, fifty- one AK-47 magazines with ammunitions, one thousand, two hundred and seventy-two live ammunitions of AK 47(9mm) and five different number plates were exhibits recovered from Evans and his gang while other weapons from different criminal hideouts all over the country are also being recovered.
Members of his gang that was also arrested are Nwosu Chikodi Chuchukwu a.k.a Sudo, 42, Suoyo Paul a.k.a Nwana, 42, Felix Chinemeren, 36, Ikenna Emeka, 28, Uchechukwu Amadi and Ogechi Amadi.
