Chukwudumeje Onuamadike, the kidnap kingpin better
known as Evans, was allegedly arrested for armed
robbery in 2006 but a policewoman helped him
circumvent justice.
According to NAN, the police source who gave this
revelation on Sunday, disclosed that seven members
of Evans’ gang died while sharing their loot in Lagos
state.
After attacking a commercial bank in the state, the
gang members were said to have gone somewhere
around the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, to share the
loot.
While sharing it, the suspects reportedly had a
disagreement and shot one another, leading to the
deaths of seven of them.
“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,” the source said.
“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 he identified Evans after he saw his
pictures during the recent arrest, and that some of his
colleagues at the time Evans was arrested then drew
his attention to the recent development.
“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 said.
“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 some time
ago.”
The source expressed fear that if Evans was not
properly investigated and prosecuted, he could form a
terrorist group.
“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,” he
said.
“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.”
NAN said the inspector-general of police intelligence
response team that arrested Evans confirmed all the
allegations of the source.
TheCable
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