Just In: Police releases Evans, dropped all criminal charges against him
A source has on Monday, narrated how the
arrested kidnap kingpin, Chukwudi Onuamadike, alias Evans, was released
and criminal charges against him dropped, when he was arrested in 2016,
for armed robbery.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, made this shocking disclosure, as investigations on Evans’ past activities deepened.
It was gathered that Evans and his
robbery gang, in 2006, attacked a commercial bank in Lagos, and went
somewhere around the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, to share the loot.
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.
“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 could 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.
No comments