I sell pigs to survive -Evans father

* Artisans: Evans was our biggest customer

* Neighbours: We know him as George

* He gives artisan millions to pay into several accounts for him

The father of Mr Chukwudi Dumeme Onuamadike aka Evans, the suspected billionaire kidnapper, yesterday begged Nigerians, security agents and federal government to forgive his son.

The man, Mr. Stephen Onwuamadike said that Evans’s actions were caused his mother.

His words: “My son is a good boy, but his mother misled him.”

In an exclusive interview with New Telegraph at his country home in Akammili, Umudim, Nnewi, Stephen, 58, disclosed that since he got the news of his son’s arrest through a phone call, he had not been able to sleep.

According to Stephen, Evans real name is Chukwudumeje; he is a product of his failed marriage.

Stephen described Evans as a ‘good and loving son. He alleged that Evans as suffering from spiritual manipulation orchestrated by his estranged wife, Evans’s mother.

Stephen, a thriving millionaire in the early 80s and a member of the popular People’s club of Nigeria, said that he lost control of Evans after his estranged wife ran away from her matrimonial home, leaving no trail.

Stephen said: “I was devastated when I heard the news through a telephone call; since that call, I had not been able to sleep a wink. I believe in a straight forward and honest life. If I noticed someone is not honest, I run away from the person.  When my business was thriving, I did business with white people. I was one of the early millionaires that emerged from this town until things went wrong courtesy of my first wife in 1985. She caused me so many problems and eventually caused my financial ruins. In fact, she brought me down to where I am today. I’m suffering and I can barely put food on my table.”

Stephen further explained that he tried his best possible to train Evans by sending him to the best schools around.

He added: “My estranged wife kept interfering in his academic training. You won’t believe that my son Chukwudumeje (Evans) has not visited home since 2008 till date. The last time I saw him, was 10 years ago. I asked him the sort of business he was into. He said he was into drug trafficking. I advised him to desist because it was an illicit business and the law was against it. I told him plainly that it was better to be involved in a legitimate business and wait for God’s blessing. I did good business, and it thrived; I was very successful. I have travelled to so many countries of the world in the course of my business, but my wife ruined me and ran away.”

Stephen noted that after the meeting with Evans, they didn’t see again until his arrest.

Stephen said: “His mother started manipulating him when he was only three years old; look at where it has gotten him. I don’t even have his phone number. I’m pleading with the Nigerian authorities to have mercy on him and give him a second chance. He was misdirected and misled by his mother. I heard about all the millions, and I said to myself, do I have such manner of rich son and the roof over my house is leaking. I now survive by selling pigs.”

Evans’s stepbrother, Chidolie Onwuamadike, said his brother’s destruction was caused by his mother.

Chidolie said he was not happy about Evans’s present situation. He noted that if Evans had followed their father’s advice, he wouldn’t have fallen into crime.

Chidolie said:  “His mother is the cause of my brother’s problem and it’s so sad. As a brother, we don’t even interact at all. I don’t have his number and my heart is pained because he is such a loving, nice guy from the little I know him.”

Evans’s step mother, Mrs. Etty Onwuamadike, broke down in tears as she pleaded with the General Overseer of Winner Chapel, Bishop David Onyedepo to intervene on behalf of Evans.

Etty said: “Chukwudumeje is a nice boy when he lived with me. The only gift I gave him years back was the holy bible. I believe that boy is a vessel for God. They should give him a second chance. He will turn out to be the Paul of our time; to be used by God. He has erred, but the authorities should give him a second time. I don’t want my son to die. I’m still convinced he will serve God.”

A trip to the country home of Evans showed an old palatial building that portrayed a family that lived in affluence years back.  It is a big compound with a duplex building. Another building stands by the right hand side of the gate with bold inscription ‘Onwuamadike House.’

Getting close to the main house, any visitor coming in will be greeted by the bold sticker of TB Joshua showing a family that has a strong root in religion. 

Yesterday, our correspondent visited the Magodo residence of Evans, where neighbours and artisans described him as “extremely generous, gentle and clean.”

The residents, including artisans, security guards and neighbours, said that they were to recover from the shock of Evans’s arrest.

Some of Evan’s neighbours revealed that they know Evans in the neighbourhood as George. They also said that they had never seen him with anyone in the neighbourhood as a friend.

One of the security guards in the community said that Evans always had his car stereo blaring music whenever he was either going in or leaving the estate. He doesn’t waste time in engaging anyone in conversation.

The guard added: “He just moved into the estate a year ago. We can’t tell much about him. He noticed he was very secretive. We knew him as George and that was even through the people who worked for him.”

Some of the artisans in the area, who Evans used to engage for repair works in the house including electricians, air conditional repairer, among others, said they had been working for him since he started residing in the highbrow Magodo Brooks Estate.

According to an electrician, a Beninese, who craved anonymity, Evans used to engage him to fix the electrical appliances in his former home where he said he was living with his wife and children.

The electrician added: “That was about two years ago. Whenever he called me for work, I knew I would get double the quotation. He was very generous. Unlike other customers, whenever he was given quotation, he would ask if I was sure the money would be enough for quality work. He always double money for work.”

A source in the area said that he just got to know why Evans moved out of his former apartment. “I just learnt that Evans moved out of a more secured estate because of the security in the estate and the caliber of people who live there. That is where the likes of Senator Gbenga Ashafa’s house is located.”

Another source said that a popular car wash on the CMD road was where Evans used to wash his car.

The source added that whenever Evans was at the car wash, he would not come down from any car he brought throughout the hours the washing lasted.

The source added: “Even when the inner part of the car was to be cleaned, he would not step out of the car. But before he leaves, he would call on the most popular person in the carwash and sought his help to go to bank for him. He may give the person as much as N25 million to pay into 10 different people’s accounts. The messenger could be given as much as N1 million as ‘dash.’ He was quite generous.”

A young man, who works with an advertising agency inside the Magodo Estate, also revealed that he just learnt of Evans’ generosity a week before his arrest.

Meanwhile, a police officer and men of the Magodo Estate security guards were yesterday on guard at Evans house monitoring events and movements of the people in the area.

The story was a bit different at Evans’s Igando home, where residents described him as always disturbing with loud music. The bungalow building is located in Asaye community. It was gathered that Evans and his men rented the building from a lawyer. The owner of the building was late, while his children are all overseas. The children handed the property to the lawyer to be managing for them.

According to them, they knew something was brewing when the Lagos State Police Command Anti-Kidnapping Squad, stormed the building recently and recovered a cache of arms abandoned by Evans and his fleeing members.

A resident said: “Since that building was rented, the owner always used to play loud music. It was very distracting.”

Another resident, who simply identified himself as Tajudeen, explained that one fateful day he was going to mosques when he heard people shouting thief on an elderly man.

Tajudeen said: “The man was running towards my direction. He was wearing boxer and shirt. Immediately I implored the people shouting thief at him to stop. The incident happened around 5am. He was scared to talk to me, but I calmed him down. He was then able to explain his experience in the kidnappers’ house.”

The old man told Tajudeen and others that he was returning from office in llupeju on February 14, 2017, when some gunmen grabbed and blindfolded him. The bundled him into their Hiace bus and drove him to the Igando building.

The old man later introduced himself as Mr Danatus Duru. The old man told them that four days after the kidnappers took him to the building; they contacted his family and demanded N500million ransom.

Duru was said to have told the residents that his family paid the kidnappers N150, but the kidnappers insisted that the money must complete N500million. The kidnappers threatened to kill him if his family didn’t pay the ransom.

Tajudeen said: “The victim told us he was able to unchain himself while his captors were deeply asleep. He escaped through the back door, landing at the next compound. Some residents in the house pounced on him and called him a thief.”

Another resident, who does not want his name in print said, said he couldn’t believe that a kidnapper’s hideout was in their community.

The resident said: “The owner of the house died a long time ago. His children are all overseas. The building has been under lock for about four years before the kidnappers came to rent it. What amazed us was that since the kidnappers moved into the building, they always operate their generators 24 hours. They are also always cooking.

“We initially they were running a cafeteria there. It was when policemen came to raid the building we discovered that they were using the place as a hideout. Mr. Duru also told us that, it was one of his pharmacists, Emeka, that sold him out to the kidnappers. We urge the Lagos State Government to have a data base of every house in Lagos to check kidnapping in the state.”