By Ifeanyi okolie

Leader of the dreaded kidnap gang, Evans, who is a native of Amambra State, has been on the police wanted list for a long time. His father is from Anambra State, while his mother is from Agbor in Delta State. He has been in crime for a long time and together with members of his gang, they have coordinated several bank robberies, in Oyo, Port-Harcourt, Abia States, etc.

A retired police officer (name withheld) intimated Crime Guard that, Evans normally leaves the country after every successful operation. The officer who was once an Anti-Robbery operative at the Oyo State Police Command, Ibadan, said that he and his colleagues killed several members of Evan’s gang during robbery operations. According to him; “I heard about Evans first in 2010, when he and members of his gang attacked some banks in Oyo State and two weeks after, they attacked some other banks in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State and Aba, Abia State. We were at the top of the investigations after the robbery and succeeded in arresting some members of the gang and all of them gave us Evans name but they told us that we can’t arrest him because he barely stay’s in the country. They told us that he has visas to several countries and can easily leave the country after every operation.”

Investigations revealed that Evans has been able to evade arrest due to his ability to change his identity. Police operatives who have been trailing him over time can’t actually say what he truly looks like. It was also gathered that, aside his ability to change his identity, Evans is conversant with modern police tracking devices. A member of police team assigned to trail the dreaded kingpin officially for the past three years (name withheld) told Crime Guard that Evans has evaded arrest because he thinks faster than the police.

According to the source; “he is an expert in this business. He does his homework properly by knowing the financial worth of his victims before going after them and after abducting them, he keeps them in obscure apartments within Lagos State, where no one could locate them and when he does his negotiations, he uses mobile phones that are not traceable and does not reveal locations of the caller. The source explained that security operatives are suspecting that Evans may have been using satellite phones during his negotiations with relatives of the victims and this has proved difficult for security operatives to track the kingpin.

His exploits, Victims

(1) Mbarikatta William Uboma, 35, kidnapped June 16th, 2012 at about 11am on his arrival from Hungary while he was close to his house. He was in his Toyota Car 2010 model in company of his brother to drop him at his house when a Passat car emerged from nowhere and blocked his car. They blindfolded him and forcefully abducted him to an unknown destination. They later demanded a ransom of N10M. However, N2M was later paid while they collected other personal accessories. He was finally dropped at Okota on the third day.

2. Paul Cole, 34, from Ohafia in Abia state. A Director with Ocean Glory Commodities, Apapa. Kidnapped August 33rd, 2012 at Festac town together with his General Manager, Jude Ugoje and another staff, Piriye Gogo, and taken to an unknown destination. They demanded for N10M. On August 6th, 2012, they collected N5M ransom at Maza-maza.

3. Mohammed Jamal, 22, a Lebanese kidnapped on August 19, 2012 at Ajah by three armed men, taken away blindfolded. N7M ransom was later paid at Ojo Barracks.

4. Kingsley Nwokenta, 34, kidnapped September 19, 2012 after he left Lebanana Bar in Festac at Mile two under bridge. Later, paid N1.5M ransom while they made away with his black Toyota Venza and other accessories.

5. Anthony Ozoanidobi, 41, kidnapped in October 10th 2012 along Marwa road Satellite town. Ransom of N1.5M paid after which he was released at Apple junction, Amuwo-Odofin

6. Leo Abraham 58, Kidnapped August 20, 2012. Paid ransom of N5M and was later released along Badagry road, Lagos.

7. Ojukwu Cosmas, 45, sells Toyota parts at Aspanda Trade fair. Kidnapped January 21, 2016 at Festac town. It was not clear when and how he was released.

8. James Uduji; Kidnapped close to his house at 7th Avenue Festac late last year. Held for 6 six weeks. Paid $1M.

9. Chief Raymond Okoye – Odu- Na –Ichida. Kidnapped 2015. Paid $1M as ransom, held captive for 2months

(10) Uche Okoroafor, trader at Alaba, kidnapped 2015, held captive for three months, paid $1M.

(11)Elias Ukachukwu kidnapped November 2015. Paid $1M. Date of release unknown but it was gathered that his abductors were insisting on another $1M claiming family members were rude to them during negotiation.

(12) Francis Umeh also a spare parts dealer at Aspanda. Kidnapped July 2016 at Raji Rasaki Estate. Released after two months in captivity.

Vanguardngr