Most wanted kidnapper, Chukwudi Dumeme Onwuamadike aka
Evans, who was arrested in Lagos was behind the kidnap attempt on
prominent transporter and owner of Young Shall Grow Motors, Chief
Vincent Obianodo.
Evans, a native of Umudim, in Nnewi, Anambra State was
arrested at his Magodo residence on Saturday, June 10 by the Joint
Forces led by the Intelligence Response Team, the Lagos State Police
Command's Anti-kidnapping Unit and Technical and Intelligent Unit of the
Nigerian Force.
In August 27, 2013, Chief Obianodo was attacked by some
gunmen in Festac Town. The attack left four persons dead including two
of the gunmen, a police officer and Obianodo's driver while the
billionaire sustained bullet wounds. Read the report by LIB
here
Barely two years later,
in 2015, Nigeria Police arrested some suspects linked to the attack.
During interrogation at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja, the
three suspects (pictured)made startling revelations about the
billionaire kingpin, Evans, who is regarded as the most notorious
kidnapping expert in the country.
According to this March 28, 2015 crime report by The Vanguard,
Vanguard
,the suspects disclosed that the attack on Chief Obianodo which many
speculated to be an assassination attempt, was actually an attempted
kidnap foiled by his police guards.
“They had expected the policemen guarding the chief to run
for cover when they accosted them and opened fire on his convoy. But
surprisingly, a policeman guarding the Chief put up a fight and engaged
the kidnappers in a shoot-out, killing two at the spot while one other
died before they fled,” police sources explained.
INVESTIGATIONS STALLED
Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident commenced
immediately after the attack. Policemen at the Area E, Command, Festac,
under whose jurisdiction the incident occurred made little progress in
unearthing the true motive behind the attack. Thereafter, the case was
hurriedly transferred to the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad,
FEDSARS, Adeniji Adele, Lagos, amid allegations of interference and
cover-ups.
HOW THEY SHIFTED BASE TO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY
Crime Guard gathered that reasonable progress was made at
the FEDARS in taking out the gang behind the kidnapping but they also
went ahead to coordinate more other high profile kidnappings in Lagos
and other parts of the country where they got hundreds of millions as
ransom. It was learnt that the gang was headed by one Evans, a notorious
kidnapper terrorizing Anambra State but who relocated to Ghana when
Anambra, his home state became too hot for him to operate in.
Government and the Police in Anambra State were said to have launched a
manhunt for him and one of his colleagues, known as Hutch –Man, when
their activities became highly unbearable. Their buildings were
destroyed and their relatives were ostracised in the society. While in
Ghana, Evans and Hutch-Man formed a new gang in Lagos with three others.
Their modus was to enter into the country quietly, carry out some
kidnappings and disappear into thin air. Chief Obianodo’s attack was one
of their operations but unfortunately, Hutch-Man and two others met
their doom in that operation, while Evans escaped.
ESCAPADES OF EVANS, LEADER OF THE GANG
Sources at the Lagos State Police Command disclosed to
Crime Guard that Evans, after the death of Hutch-Man, succeeded in
forming a new but highly sophisticated gang, which has successfully
coordinated several high profile kidnappings in Lagos and other parts of
the country, collecting ransoms in hundreds of millions of naira. Most
of his victims are said to be prominent citizens and business executives
based in Lagos. They are usually threatened not to report the case to
the police upon their release. That was why most of the cases were not
reported to the police for fear of reprisal by Evans and his deadly
gang.
EVANS, THE SUPPER RICH KIDNAPPER AND HIS STRATEGY
Police sources described Evans as the most notorious
kidnapper operating in Lagos at the moment, stating that he has over 20
boys working for him in Lagos alone. The source added that Evans could
easily pick out his targets as he is very rich with properties in choice
areas in Lagos. “He displays lots of wealth. He has properties in Lekki
and Ajah and he drives expensive cars around town making it possible
for him to blend easily with the rich in the society. When he picks out a
victim, he sends a team to monitor the movement of that victim.
When he thinks it’s ripe for him to strike, he would deploy
another team to attack and kidnap his victim. After carrying out their
operation, they usually blindfold their victims after which they are
taken to unknown destinations within the state where they are detained
and ransoms are demanded before their release. After their freedom, the
victims are warned never to alert the police or members of their
families would be attacked.
At the moment, no one knows Evans whereabouts because he has plenty of
cash and can easily move in and out of the country,” police sources
hinted.
CONFESSIONS GALORE BY SUSPECTS
The suspects identified as Victor Anamalechi, Nnamdi John
and Chukwuma Kingsley are currently helping the operatives in their
investigation. One of them,Chukwuma Kingsley,34, a native of Isele-Ukwu
in Delta State, who was arrested recently, in connection with the kidnap
of two oil moguls in Lagos state, Chief Idowu Coker, the Director of
Dapsey Oil, who paid N20 million ransom and Alhaji Fashola Hammed, who
was rescued from the kidnappers den without ‘paying ransom, confessed to
Crime Guard how he became a criminal.
According to him “I ventured into crime in 2012 after I
lost my job at the company where I worked as a security man. I am
married with four children. I travelled to Indonesia with the little
money I saved from my salary. When I got there, I fell ill and I
returned back to the country. Things became very difficult for me and my
family. While I was searching for help, I met one Ike, who was an old
friend and I asked for assistance. He told me that he was into car
vandalism and I could join him if I had the gut. For the fact that I
could barely fend for my wife and four children, I decided to join him.
We did a couple of jobs together.
ATTACK ON FILLING STATIONS
Later, some of his friends who specialised in petrol station burglary
invited me to join them. I followed them to raid a number of fillings
stations on high ways and we stole a lot of money. When we attack a
filling station at night, we will break into it, ransack the place and
collect all the money and valuables we could lay our hands on. After a
while, some filling stations started engaging the services of armed
security men and this made our job difficult. Ike, Alhaji and Victor,
who are the leaders of the gang provided the arms we used while Nnamdi
John, brought two Ak 47 rifles and some police uniforms to us.
‘’We would disguise as policemen on duty and when we get to
a filling station with armed guard, we will arrest the security, tire
him up and rob the place. The money we were making from that operation
became too small for us. Victor then suggested that we should start
robbing ATM and fast food joints. Our first ATM and fast food robbery
was in Ogun State . We realised N400,000 from the operation.
The second operation was at a bank in Okene in Kogi State,
but while we were trying to open the vault of the ATM, our burner got
spoilt and we stopped working and returned back to Lagos. Before we
attack any bank, a member of our gang will survey the place to make sure
that there are no armed policemen on guard at the bank. If the place is
clear, we will strike.
Our most lucrative operation then was in a bank in Ogun
state where we found over N 15 million from the ATM vault and later we
robbed a filling station and collected N3.5million, which was their
sales for the weekend. I bought a car with my share of the loot, but
days after that operation, we had a problem. We attempted to rob an ATM
in Ogun State, but there were lots of vigilante men around the area,
then we decided to abort the operation and returned to Lagos.
POLICE AMBUSH AT IGANDO AND DISBANDMENT
‘’We drove in through Abeokuta Road and when we got to Ibah
on LASU-Igando Road, some policemen accosted us and we ran in different
directions for safety but I abandoned my car. After that incident, we
disbanded the group for fear of being arrested. Ike travelled out of the
country, Victor who had a shop in Alaba International Market went back
to his business, while I became a taxi driver.
Nnamdi lives in Ikotun and also has a shop at Alaba
International Market. We were still hanging out regularly. We normally
meet in hotels and local bars. A day after the owner of Young Shall Grow
Motors was attacked, I tried reaching Nnamdi through his cell phone but
his line was not connecting. I didn’t know that he took part in that
operation but I was only calling him so that we would hang out. I tried
for four days, his line didn’t connect but on the fifth day, he called
and asked that we should meet in one of the hotels around our area.
STORY OF ESCAPE FROM YOUNG SHALL GROW OPERATION
When we met, he told me that he was lucky to be alive. I
asked him what happened. He told me that he was part of the gang that
attacked the owner of Young Shall Grow Motors. I was surprised because
we were not into kidnapping and he also didn’t discourse such plan with
me. He then explained that one of his friends called Sudo, who is based
in Ghana, linked him to the gang and they wanted to use his AK 47 rifles
for the operation.
He said he met the gang which includes; Hutch-Man, Evans, Acko and one
other he did not know his name in Igando and they planned how to carry
out the attack. He later explained that Evans didn’t tell him that there
would be an exchange of gunfire and he was not prepared. He said they
accosted the man with their black Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle, SUV, and
they shot at the vehicle carrying the man but some policemen following
him shot back at them and killed Hutch-Man and Acko at the spot.
According to him, they also shot at their SUV as they made
to escape and the bullet hit the unidentified man in their vehicle. He
told me that he drove the vehicle and the body of the dead man to the
hotel where they planned the operation in Igando and left the dead body
for Evans to take care of.
UNMASKING THE KINGPIN, EVANS
There and then, I advised him to be careful while dealing
with Evans because Evans is a dangerous criminal. We once lived in the
same building 14 years ago and he was a notorious drug baron. At a time,
we forced our landlord to evict him from our building because we were
scared he could get us into trouble. After that discussion, he told me
that he was going to leave the country to avoid being arrested by the
police. But few months later, I learnt he was arrested for truck
diversion and was taken to prison.
THEN EVANS CALLED…..
‘’I was still doing my taxi job and making little money
from it. Then, suddenly, I received a call from Evans. I was surprised
he had my phone number and he asked if I had a car, I told him I didn’t
and he asked if I could get someone I trusted who could do a job for
him, I said yes. Ike was in the country then and he was driving a Toyota
Sienna space bus. I took him to Evans and we met at Festac Town.
He told us to trail a car for him and he would pay us N3 million. We agreed and he said we should wait for his call. Two weeks later,
he called and said we should drive down to Trade Fair Complex, wait
under the bridge and look out for a car. He gave us the registration
number and colour of the car. He also gave our numbers to somebody who
would call and tell us when our target will leave his shop.”
FORMATION OF NEW GANG AND ALIMOSHSO RAID
Ike got angry because that wasn’t the agreement. He told me
that Evans collected N15million as ransom. Ike started calling him and
he stopped picking his calls and changed his number. Ike went back to
Ghana and I went back to my business. One month later,
Ike called me and said he has concluded plans to form his own kidnap
gang. He said he has found someone who has contacts of rich people we
could kidnap within Alimoshun area.
We met at Igando and he told me that he has also rented an
apartment which we will use as our den. Our first victim was Dabsy. I
did the surveillance while Ike and two other boys carried out the
operation. The man was kept in our den and we demanded a ransom of
N30million. He paid N20milliom. We collected the ransom at Governors
Road, Ikotun and I got N3million as my share.
I bought a Toyota Camry with my share and used the
remaining to take care of myself. Few weeks later, the guy who gave us
the information of our first victim brought another job. The victim this
time is called Alhaji Fashola. I waited for him at Isheri roundabout
and when I sighted him, I contacted Ike and doubled crossed him in
traffic and broke his wind screen with the butt of my gun and abducted
him. We took him to our den but days later, SARS operatives stormed the
house, rescued him and arrested me. Ike managed to escape,” he narrated.
ANOTHER SUSPECT OPENS UP
The third suspect,Nnamdi John, 35,a native of Abia State in
his confessions said he got his two Ak47 rifles from his friend who was
killed in Kano State during a robbery operation. “I came to Lagos in
2006 from Okene, Kogi State. I was brought in by a man who was selling
used television sets in Okene. I came to Lagos with N90,000 and I was
selling used phones at Alaba International market. After a while, I
ventured into musical instruments with the money I made from selling
used phones.
I rented a shop and things were moving fine for me. In 2011, I met one
guy known as Okute at a drinking spot in Ojo and he was spending so much
money. We became friends and he gave me his car to keep for him. He
would call me some time to bring the car when ever he needed it and when
he is through with the car, he will return it to me and dash me
N50,000. I didn’t know what he was doing with the car until one day when
the car had a flat tire and I went to fix it. He saw me and was very
upset. I was surprised why he was so upset with me over a minor issue.
CAR AS AMOURY
Then he told me that he has guns inside the car and nobody must know
about it. One month after that incident, he called and said that he
wanted to travel to Kano State. That was the last time I heard from him.
Later, news came in that members of his gang went for an operation in
Kano and he was gunned down. One of his friends who knew that the guns
were in the car contacted me and said I could make money with the guns.
He brought a job at Alakija where we got N90 million. My
share from that operation was N59 million. I built a house and bought a
Sports Utility Vehicle with part of the money. I then invested the
remaining into my business and travelled to Japan and started importing
musical instruments. People were surprised by my sudden wealth but they
didn’t know how I made it. The first set of importations I did went well
but the last one didn’t go well.
There were lots of debts so,I stopped importing. Later on,
my business folded up and I went back into robbery. I joined Kingsley
and his gang and we raided banks, filling Stations and ATM.
Subsequently, I met Evans and we attempted to kidnap the owner of Young
Shall Grow Motors. That operation was so bloody and I decided never to
venture into kidnapping.
