Kidnap kingpin was arrested for robbery in 2006 – Police
Evans and his robbery gang, in 2006 attacked a commercial bank in Lagos and went somewhere to share the loot.
According to reports, Evans was arrested with seven members of his gang who died while sharing their loot in Lagos State.
A very reliable police source revealed this on Sunday as investigations on Evans past activities deepened.
It was gathered that while sharing the loot,
the robbers had a disagreement and shot one another. Seven members of
the gang died instantly.
“The then Divisional Police Officer of Iponri Police Station, Yahaya Bello,
now a deputy commissioner of police, said there was a serious incident
involving some persons who shot at one another. He said about three of
them had been arrested.
“One of the members of the gang arrested then was Chukwudi Onuamadike,
popularly known as Evans. If you look at his chest, I cannot remember
whether it is the right or left side, there is a scar. It was as a
result of the gunshot from his gang members that day.
“He
bled and there was no way he could run away before the police came. The
case was transferred to the Lagos State Anti-Robbery Squad. We
investigated and discovered that they were armed robbers.
“Evans
led the team. We also went to Mbidi Police Station, Imo State, to carry
out an investigation on them. We were able to arrest two other members
of the gang. We then had five of them in police custody.
“There
was a policewoman at the Band Section of the Police College, Lagos. She
was known as Tina, a Superintendent of Police. She insisted that we
should drop the case and that Onuamadike (Evans) was her brother.
“But
when she was unable to achieve her aim, she travelled to Imo State. Not
long after, we got a message from the Imo State Police Command that
they had been searching for Evans and asked us to transfer the case to
them so they could continue from where we stopped.
“Since that time, we did not hear anything. We heard he was later released there,” the source said.
The
source noted that after he saw Evans pictures, he knew that he was the
man they arrested alongside members of his gang in 2006, stressing,
however, that Evans was not bearing the alias, Evans, at the time.
“We
identified him only as Chukwudi. Some of the persons we worked together
on the case also called me to draw my attention to the fact that he was
the one arrested.
“He couldn’t
have been the only person released. The request was that we should
transfer the case to them. We sent him and two members of his gang to
the command. There is a hotel in Okota area where they used to meet to
share their loot.
“The owner of
the hotel was their friend. There was a time they robbed three banks in
Alaba International Market in 2005. They also looted shops there. One of
the owners of the shop complained to the police and we carried out an
investigation.
“We discovered
that some of the items stolen in the man’s shop were digital cameras. We
traced the cameras to the hotel and into the office of the hotel owner.
It was then that ‘big men’ started calling from everywhere that we
should drop the charges against them.
“The
owner of the hotel was later killed by the robbers, following a
disagreement. His body was dumped by the roadside in one of the states
in the East sometimes ago,” the source told police investigators.
The
source expressed fear that if Evans was not properly investigated and
prosecuted he can form a terrorist group being a hardened criminal; in
view of the fact that he collects any ransom demanded to the last Kobo
before releasing such victims.
“The
best way to handle his case is for the police to do their work. They
should do a proper investigation. If it will take four months to
investigate him, they should do so. He has links in South Africa, Ghana,
etc.
“I know him. Bank robbery
and hijacking of bullion vans was easy for him and his gang members. He
did not hesitate to shoot any member of his gang suspected of foul
play,” the source noted.
It was
further reported from the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence
Response Team that Evans confirmed all the incidents alleged by the
police source.
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