Kidnapping kingpin popularly known as Evans reveals that he collects ransom in US dollars

RECENTLY-arrested kidnapper Chukwudi Onuamadike popularly known as Evans has revealed to the Lagos State Police Command that he only collects ransoms for the release of his victims in US dollars.

Over the weekend, Evans was arrested by the police in his palatial mansion in the Magodo area of Lagos, bringing to an end years of pursuit. He was Nigeria's most notorious kidnapper, who masterminded the abduction of public officials, expatriates and rich businessmen and women.
 

Evans, 36, who dropped out of school in Junior Secondary School Two also confessed to have once collected a $1m ransom fee. On Saturday he was arrested in his mansion on Magodo Estate, Lagos, after a shootout with operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team and men of the Lagos State Police Command.

According to the police, his modus operandi was to engage a gang to carry out kidnapping, while another gang held the victims hostage until ransoms were paid. It was said that none of the gang members knew where he lived since 2008 when he reportedly went into kidnapping.

Six of his gang members include Nwosu Chukwuma, aka Sudo, 42; Suoyo Paul aka Nwana, 42; Felix Chinemerem, 36; Chukwuemeka Bosah, 28; Uchechukwu Amadi and Ogechi Amadi. Ugochukwu and Ogechi are husband and wife.

While Ugochukwu was said to be the leader of a gang in a camp in New Igando, Lagos, where they kept their victims, his wife reportedly prepared food in the camp. Nwana was reportedly in charge of supplying guns used by the gangs, while Chinemerem was Evan’s second in command.

They were all paraded on Sunday at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja. Five AK-47 rifles, one AK-49 rifle, two English pistols, 59 AK-47 magazines with ammunition, 1,272 pieces of live ammunition of AK-47 (9mm) and five number plates were recovered from the suspects.
 

The police said Evans had raked in $4m from four of his 13 captives in Lagos and used part of the proceeds to acquire two mansions worth N300m in Magodo Phase II, another two houses in Accra, Ghana, exotic cars, expensive wristwatches and jewellery. Evans, a native of Nnewi in the Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, said he went into kidnapping in 2015 when his spare parts business collapsed.

He also confessed to 10 kidnappings, adding that he had two other gang members, Chinedu and Ehis, who helped him to scout for wealthy targets. Although Evans was silent about his family’s whereabouts, the police said they lived in Ghana.

“I was into importation of spare parts here in Lagos but in 2015, customs seized my goods worth N20m and I became stranded. That was when I went into kidnapping, I usually collect ransoms in dollars and the highest I got was $1m for a victim.

"I am also into drugs and I used the proceeds from kidnapping and drug to buy property. I have a wife and five children,” Mr Evans added.