Kingpin Evans: Drama as court grants bail to 3 suspects
…Victim spits fire
By Emma Nnadozie, Crime Editor
A disturbing dramatic interplay is rearing its ugly head
over the ongoing investigation into allegations of kidnapping and armed robbery
against Chukwudem Onwamadike a.k.a Evans, and other suspects who were recently,
rounded up by the police in Lagos.
This is also as sources disclosed that the dreaded kidnap
kingpin, Evans, has not been opening up well to interrogators about his
accomplices although he was said to have mentioned one name.
Though details of
the disclosure were still sketchy as at press time, sources said investigators
were discreet over the case but were seriously looking into his allegations
with a view to establishing its veracity and effecting arrest.
The drama started after three of the suspects who were
earlier detained before the suspected kingpin, Evans, was arrested, were
granted bail by a Yaba Magistrate court. The trio, Kingsley Egbeonu, Emeka
Egbuligha and Tochukwu Nwosu, all staff of Maydon Pharmacy in Ilupeju, whose
owner, Chief Dona Dunu, escaped from Evans’ kidnappers den at Igando, were
accused of masterminding the kidnap of their boss. They were subsequently
arrested after their boss escaped and narrated his sordid experiences while in
captivity.
Chief Dunu who parted with a huge ransom of N150m,
reportedly alleged that while in the den of his abductors, he heard the voice
one of the Pharmacist under his employ, discussing with the kidnappers. He
further alleged that his abductors, while negotiating for ransom, revealed
vital information about his company known only to his workers and that he also
overheard them discussing how to remove goods from his warehouse not knowing
that he would survive to disclose their identities.
Based on these allegations, police investigators swung into
action and arrested three of his staff, remanding them in their custody with
court order. It was gathered that after the arrest of the celebrated kidnap
kingpin, Evans and his subsequent parade at the command headquarters, Ikeja, an
identification parade was carried out and both Evans and other members of his
gang said they did not know the three staff of the pharmaceutical company.
Furthermore, a search at the warehouse of the company showed that nothing was
tampered with contrary to earlier claims by the victim that he overheard one of
the suspects discussing with his abductors how to part with his goods in the
warehouse.
Saturday Vanguard learned that after this, their lawyers
went to a Yaba Magistrate court to vacate police detention order placed on
their heads. Meanwhile, while the accused workers were jubilating over their
freedom, their estranged boss was gnashing his teeth, lamenting that police not
only failed to provide him with security after he escaped from kidnapper’s den
but also did not do a good job following which those he suspected as key
accomplices in the kidnap saga have been freed.
This, according to sources
close to him, has endangered his life the more and his family is accusing the
police of negligence.
“Our brother not only narrated how he heard the voice of one
of his workers while in captivity but also gave vivid details of how his
abductors were reeling out details of his company activities before collecting
a huge ransom.
All we are saying is that police abysmally failed to live up to
billing in the court and even while investigating the suspected members of his
staff.
We strongly believe that one of the members of Evan’s gang
who was arrested with his wife is related to one of the suspected workers, and
the fact that they denied knowing him does not mean that he should be freed. If
not, how did they get information about the 40 cars he gave to his dedicated
staff sometime ago.
How did they know about his warehouse? These are related
issues that should make police investigate them properly,” the family source
stated.
On their part, police sources said Chief Dunu has not been
showing up since he escaped from the den of the kidnappers. “As soon as he got
his freedom, he disappeared without giving police his contact. We managed to
get him to make statements later and after that, we did not see him again.
Just imagine, almost all the victims have been coming
forward, not only to commend police for the arrest of their tormentor, but to
also make useful statements that could assist us carry out successful
investigations into the criminal activities of the gang and their leader but
Chief Dunu remains incommunicado.
What do you expect us to do? Go and arrest
and force him to aid our investigations or what?
Meantime, Saturday Vanguard learned that lawyers to the
released staff of his company are threatening to go to court to redeem the
image of their clients which they said had been so much bruised and battered by
their arrest over the kidnap case.
One of the lawyers was overheard saying that the case was
adjoined for next month to enable police conclude their investigations and if
eventually they are exonerated, which we are sure will happen, they will seek
redress in court against the Chief for defamation of character and wrongful
detention by the police.
Similarly, Saturday Vanguard gathered from reliable police
sources that Evans might be flown to Force Headquarters, Abuja to meet with the
police hierarchy for thorough interrogation over his criminal activities.
Already, efforts were been made to prepare him for the
meeting which sources said could include meeting with the Inspector-General of
Police, Ibrahim Idris.
Detectives attached to the Intelligence Response Team,
IRT, of the IGP’s special squad are still taking the kidnap kingpin to places
in Lagos and environs with a view to identifying all the houses he used as
cells during his escapades.
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In another development, Saturday Vanguard learned also that
the suspected kingpin has been making frantic efforts to meet with our reporter
who interviewed his wife who spke from Ghana, on phone. Sources said he has
been appealing to policemen guarding him to “please, in the name of God, beg
Emma Nnadozie of Vanguard to come and see me let’s discuss something about my
wife he spoke with on phone.”
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