Nigeria’s kidnap kingpin, Chukwumeme Onwuamadike aka Evans, on Sunday revealed more about his involvement in the business of drug trafficking which he was involved in before venturing into the crime of abduction people for ransom.
Evans spoke to journalists when he took detectives to the buildings he used as camps for detention of his kidnap victims. During the tour of the two camps, Evan spoke on his involvement in drug business, how he operated his detention camps, his family, religion upbringing and life as Nigeria’s most wanted kidnapper.
The kidnap kingpin said, “I started drug business at the age of 25. We get most of the cocaine from Pakistan and other Asian countries. I used to take drugs to Holland, South African and some parts of Europe.
“We got a powder from China, which we normally rub on briefcase that contains the drug. Whenever the sniffer dogs smell the bags, they will not feel anything. That was how I was able to smuggle the drugs.
Some time, I swallow the drugs. I once swallowed drug which busted in my stomach, leading to cancer. It was in 2008, that I was diagnosed with colon cancer in a hospital in Ghana.
It was after I started feeling stomach ache that I went to Ghana. I also have high blood pressure. Since then, I have been treating the cancer with various drugs.”
“During my first child dedication in the church, I gave N50,000. Subsequent worship service, I gave between N10,000 and N20,000, so that nobody would suspect me in the church.”
Evans said he operates camps for detention of those kidnapped by his gang at Igando, Ejigbo and Gowon Estate area of Lagos.
Speaking about his camp at Ejigbo and the victims detained there, Evans said: “I have just three camps in Lagos, where I keep victims. I have at Jakande, Igando and Gowon area of the metropolis. Whenever I noticed policemen were after me, I would move such a victim to a different camp, to prevent policemen from tracking me. I also operated several bank accounts, but I used GTB constantly.
“I rented the building in 2010 and used it for as a detention camp. I paid a year’s rent. I rented the Jakande building for N750,000. The building hosted three victims. The victims are Udoji, who I collected $1 million from, Emesbos, who paid me $300,000, while the third victim paid $250,000.
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At Igando, another of his camp, Evans said, “This house has two different apartments. I rented the building for N1 million for a year. I only kept two victims in the house. They are Chief Umeh and the pharmacist, Chief Donatus Duru. Chief Duru escaped.
“We collected euros from the family. They promised to bring the rest. But when we collected the money, I told my boys to release the man. They were the ones holding him. By then, I was already suspecting that policemen were closing in on me.
“I was surprised when I heard that Chief Duru escaped from the detention camp. It was one of my boys who called to inform me about the development.
“I don’t used to come here; I have boys on ground, working. They always give me information about developments on a daily basis. That alone, gave me the assurance that all was well with the victims. When I heard that the Igando house had been busted, I threatened the camp officer, Uche, that I was going to kill him. I didn’t mean it. I just wanted to get the truth about the escape of the pharmacist from him.”
“I am still not convinced that Uche and Emeka did not collect money from the victim’s family and released him. It was after two weeks that I received a call from my spy in the community that policemen had busted the house and recovered arms and ammunition.
On how he selected and ran the camps, Evans said, “I always organised my boys on the phone at detention camps. I asked my boys to do the findings about houses to rent and get back to me. I used to give them my specification of house. I don’t just rent any house, anywhere, especially because of what we used the buildings for.
But Evans said he never really got to enjoy the money he made from kidnapping because he was always on the run, trying to avoid police.
“I was not going to clubs, hotels, etc. because I was afraid that policemen would come after me.”
On why he was in love with Psalm 23 as revealed by his wife, the kidnap kingpin said,
“My wife doesn’t know why I was so much in love with Psalm 23. It’s because of the sins I had committed. I have always asked my children to ask for forgiveness for me and also pray that I should not die young.
“During my first child dedication in the church, I gave N50,000. Subsequent worship service, I gave between N10,000 and N20,000, so that nobody would suspect me in the church,” Evans said. He added that he attended Anglican Church at Ketu before he moved to Ghana said. Members of the church, he said, knew him as a businessman.
“I believe in God, because He is the only one that can save me from the problem I find myself. I believe it was greed that pushed me into the kidnapping. I don’t believe in juju.”
Also read Evans: My ‘big’ victims, multi-million naira ransoms