After the arrest of the notorious kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans in 2017 following his seven years of high-profile abductions across the country, during which he collected millions of dollars in ransoms, nobody knew that another dreaded gang would spring up soon after.
This time around, this gang of daring kidnappers took over from him and concentrated more on the Centre of Excellence, Lagos. The gang members operated freely for over a year and specialised in targeting their victims who are usually stupendously rich and they end up collecting ransom in both naira and dollars.
Their areas of operation included Ago Palace Way, Isolo, Okota, the popular auto spare parts market, Ladipo; Festac and other environs. Police sources said they always disappear through the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, meander through the ever-busy Second Rainbow Bus stop and Apple Junction and end up in a yet-to-be-known enclave.
From here they will negotiate the ransom for their victim before relocating out of the city. The difference in their mode of operation is that apart from being based outside Lagos, they always insist in collecting not less than N1 billion or their victim will be killed. They also threaten to kill their victims should information about them leak to the police.
The good news at the moment is that the gang last week met its Waterloo in the Ladipo area of Lagos. This was after the gangsters targeted a very rich international businessman and were on the verge of kidnapping him. Their evil plot was foiled by eagle-eyed policemen from the Commissioner of Police Special Squad who confronted them and killed nine of them.
Recovered from them were four AK-47 rifles, four locally-made semi-automatic pistols, nine AK47 magazines, three walkie-talkies, one POS machine and a loudspeaker. Two of their operational vehicles: a black Toyota 4Runner and a blue Lexus RX350, were also recovered. However, two of the suspects narrowly escaped by disappearing into the large crowd keenly watching the shootout that ensued between the heavily armed kidnappers and the police.
