Saturday Sun has just published this investigative report on a certain Evans made over N2billion from ransoms last year alone, and it is a must read.
Read below
For over five years, he has remained the prime target of the Police.
But the more they hunthim, the more elusive he becomes or so it seems.
Welcome to the world of Evans, ostensibly Nigeria’s most wanted
kidnapper who raked in over N2 billion from payment of ransom for his
wealthy victims last year alone. His list of victims is endless.
One of them is Sir James Uzochukwu Uduji, the Chairman of Comet Star
Manufacturing Company, who spent six weeks in captivity before met
the gang’s ransom demand.
Udoji was abducted by unknown gunmen in front of his residence at 7th
Avenue, Festac Town, Lagos on September 7, 2015. He was released after
six weeks in captivity. His abductors were said to have laid ambush for
him at 72nd Junction along 7th Avenue at a bad portion of the road,
close to his residence. The hoodlums shot the driver and drove off with
Uduji to an unknown destination.
Though he vehemently refused to mention the amount that was paid to
his captors, he however, maintained that “their demands were met.” He
gave this piece of advice to anybody who falls victim of kidnapping to
cooperate with their abductors instead of risking their precious lives
which cannot be bought with money.
Uduji’s abduction went viral when the amount requested as ransom
became knowledge of the media. His abductors had requested for
$1million US dollars which naira value was put at N220 million as at the
time he was being held.
Findings revealed that the police authority is aware of the brain
behind the repeated, well co-ordinated kidnapping cases in Festac and
Amuwo Odofin that became common in 2015.
His name is Evans, one of the richest men in Nigeria but at the
moment, the most wanted kidnapper in the country. His criminal outreach
and operational methods have so far dwarfed security agencies. In the
police circle, as soon as news of high profile kidnap in Lagos is
reported, they would simply scream “Evans, Oh Evans.”
An indigene of Anambra State, Evans as he is known by his associates
became more involved in criminality, shortly after he was released
from prison in 2011.
Some of his colleagues who were arrested by the Police, recalled the
moments they shared with him while he was in Anambra prison. According
to them, he was always exchanging notes with other inmates on how they
were arrested while he plotted his return.He made contacts and as soon as he was granted bail, Evans jumped
bail and joined a gang in Anambra. He grew in ranks, and made a lot of
money until he was able to form his own gang. He widened his reach
between Lagos and Anambra States and at the end of each operation,
travel to Ghana till the Police stops searching for him.
Severally, he had relocated to Ghana when Anambra, his home state
became too hot for him to operate. 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 too
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 operandi was to sneek into the country
quietly, carry out some kidnappings and disappear into thin air.
No one noticed his activities until in 2013 after a prominent
transporter, Chief Vincent Obianodo, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO,
of The Young Shall Grow Motors narrowly escaped death when his convoy
was attacked by some gunmen in Festac Town. The police arrested some
suspects who revealed the motive behind the attack.
At the moment, no one knows Evans’ whereabouts because he has plenty of
cash and can easily move in and out of the country. He is so smart that
none of his gang members that were arrested has information about him
except that his name is Evans and they refer to him as ‘my lord’ while
they are not allowed to know much about him.
One of Evans gang members who knew little about him was Chukwuma
Kingsley, 34, a native of Isele-Ukwu in Delta State. Kingsley was
arrested in connection with the kidnap of two oil moguls in Lagos state.
During his confession at the police station, Kingsley claimed that he
knew Evans as a dangerous criminal.
“We once lived in the same building
many 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. There was a time 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 taken to
prison.‘’I was still doing my taxi job and making little money from it.
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.
My friend 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 would leave his shop.“We parted ways with him, because after the deal, he collected
N15million and only gave us N3million. Ike got angry because that
wasn’t the agreement. He told me that Evans collected N15million as
ransom. He is a graduate and very smart,” Kingsley revealed.
Endless list of victims
Saturday Sun investigation revealed that Evans and his gang
still have in their custody, three prominent Nigerians abducted from
Amuwo Odofin and Festac area.
Elias Unachukwu was kidnapped in November 2015. Although the family
had paid $1million, he is yet to be released as his abductors are
insisting on another $1million claiming that family members were rude to
them during negotiation.
The second person, Ojukwu Cosmas, 45, who
sells Toyota parts at Aspanda trade fair market, Ojo area, was abducted
on January 21, 2016 at Festac Town.
The latest was Fidel Umeh, an auto spare parts dealer at Aspanda
market who was kidnapped January 28, 2016 at Amuwo Odofin and his
family is still negotiating with his abductors.
While the three are still in their abductors den, Evans and his group
have successfully ripped off several families in Festac town including
James Udoji, a successful industrialist who reportedly parted with
$1million to regain his freedom. Shortly after he was released in
September, 2015, Chief Raymond Okoye was picked up and was said to have
paid $1million to his captors after spending two months with them.
Another victim was Uche Okoroafor, a trader at Alaba market who also
parted with $1million to regain his freedom after spending three months
in captivity.
One of the friends of Okorofar who spoke with Saturday Sun at
his residence lamented that he had to relocate from Festac to Lekki.
“This is no longer a joke. The police are no longer interested in what
happens in Festac Town or Amuwo Odofin. It is now reserved for the
average citizen and criminals. Nobody knows who will be the next
target. For now, Lekki or Ikeja is safe because that crook and his group
know that houses in Lekki and Ikeja are well protected. They will not
risk showing their faces here and most importantly, this is the area
where important people live and I know that if such a gang dares this
area, the police will do everything to arrest them.“Can’t you remember that Godogodo was arrested because he attacked
them? In 2015 alone, not less than 20 prominent men were kidnapped in
Festac Town. Properties are very cheap in Festac now because no rich
man wants to buy property there again”, he said.
Another resident who owns a four star hotel in Festac said that he
had since relocated out of the country.
“Three of my regular customers
were picked up in front of my hotel while they were leaving. One of them
spent two months in their net and had to auction his properties just to
raise $1million ransom. It means that their informant normally visits
the hotel. I am not safe there, so I run my business from the US”, he
said.
A police source disclosed that “in 2015 alone, it is estimated
that Evans and his gang made nothing less than N2 billion from ransom
payments. That is why he has so much money to work with.”
On Evans’ nefarious activities, it was gathered that as far back as
2014, the Lagos command had been on his trail after members of his gang
were arrested. He was said to have fled to South Africa with his wife
and children.He resurfaced again in March 2015 and this time around, concentrated
his effort on Festac Town which has as its landlords, most successful
businessmen from the eastern part of Nigeria. Gradually, rich men were
silently picked up and Festac town gradually degenerated into an easy
route for Evans and his gang.
Saturday Sun learnt that the Commissioner of Police, Fatai
Owoseni had since called for help to curb the activities of Evans and
his notorious gang. As a result, the Inspector General of Police,
Solomon Arase has deployed well-trained detectives to help find Evans
and his formidable gang
