Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, is a convicted Nigerian

kidnapper In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...

. Onwuamadike is a native of

Nnewi Nnewi is a commercial and industrial city in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria. It is the second largest and second most populous city in the southern part of the country. Nnewi as a metropolis has one local government area, which is Nnewi North ...

Anambra State Anambra State is a Nigerian state, located in the southeastern region of the country. The state was created on August 27, 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi State ...

. He is sometimes referred to as "The Billionaire Kidnapper" because the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) believe he is one of the richest criminals in the kidnapping activities in Nigeria. In some of his operations, he made amounts of up to 1 million dollars. The Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria police force also described as a very smart, crafty, and intelligent kidnapper having evaded arrest for four years even though he was on a most wanted list in three states (

Lagos State Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West (Nigeria), southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, states, it is both the List of Nigerian states by population, most populous and List of Nigerian state ...

Edo State Edo, commonly known as Edo State, is a state located in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. As of 2006 National population census, the state was ranked as the 24th populated state (3,233,366) in Nigeria, However there was controversy ...

, and

). Onuamadike was arrested in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

during the weekend of 10–11 June 2017.

Trial

Onuamadike is undergoing trial on 52 charges of multiple murders, armed robberies, kidnappings, unlawful possession of firearms, unlawful possession of ammunition, conspiracy, among other charges. Specifically, he is being charged of unlawful capture of Uche Okereafor in Festac area of Lagos State on 21 November 2017 and demand a ransom of $2million. According to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms. Titilayo Shitta-Bey, Onuamadike contravened sections 409 and 269 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011. As of March 2021, his trial was still pending.

Conviction

On Friday, February 25, 2022, the Lagos state high court found Evans and two others guilty of kidnapping and conspiracy. In the ruling, the trial judge claimed "He showed no remorse in the dock and tried to lie his way out of the crimes despite the video evidence". Evans was thereafter sentenced to life imprisonment.

References

External links

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The Guardian (Nigeria) ''The Guardian'' is a Nigerian independent daily newspaper, established in 1983, published by Guardian Newspapers Limited in Lagos, Nigeria History ''The Guardian'' was established in 1983 by Alex Ibru, an entrepreneur, and Stanley Macebuh, a t ...

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Living people Nigerian kidnappers Year of birth missing (living people) {{Nigeria-bio-stub