A 53-year old man, who claimed to be a graduate of Civil Engineering from the University of Ibadan, Okpara Linus has narrated how he prevented billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike popularly known as Evans, from kidnapping his kinsman.
Okpara, who himself was arrested for providing information to Evans, claimed he was deceived into crime by the kidnap kingpin.
He told Vanguard thus: “I visited my home town in 2014. When I was travelling to Lagos State I took a car at Asaba. The driver of the vehicle identified himself as Doctor. He told me he was a drug peddler and promised to assist me with building contracts. He told me that he would link me to some of his rich friends.
“A few days later I got a call from a man who identified himself as Nnwachinemelu, who told me that doctor gave him my number.
“He asked me what I was into and I told him. We agreed to meet. We met at Ajao Estate, Lagos where he told me that there was a man trading at Trade Fair Complex, who was indebted to him. He said he needed me to monitor the man so that he would arrest him.
“He sent a bike to pick me up and asked that I should wait on Trade Fair Bridge and look out for the man because he had told me the colour and the plate number of the man’s vehicle.
“When I sighted it, I called him and he asked me to follow the man. When we got to Alakija, we watched the man as he entered Festac Town. He asked us to go back, saying he would take care of the situation from that point. He asked me to go home and two days later he sent N2million into my bank account.
“About seven months after then he called again and told me that the bike man would come to my house and would take me to a place in Agbara. He said I would help him monitor the movement of a man.
We got to Agbara and waited until the man, started leaving his office and we followed him down to Alakija. Evans asked me to pull back again, saying he would take care of the situation. Two months later he called me and paid N700, 000 into my account.
‘’A few weeks after then, he asked me to go to Abule-Oshun to monitor the movement of a man who had an office there. I monitored the man and discovered that I knew the man, who is Mike Umuberede.
“I refused to give him complete information about the man because I knew him and he is from my home town. The man is the owner of Super Master electrical appliances and he had once helped me when my father fell sick.
“I told Evans that I knew the man and he must not kidnap him but Evans got angry with me. Evans said all his men were on standby, saying they were ready to kidnap the man. I lied to him that I had alerted the man and he has contacted the Police.
“He cursed me for betraying him and threatened to kill all the members of my family. He stopped communicating with me from at that point.
“When I heard he was arrested I was glad because he is a beast and a very greedy man. I learned from the newspapers that he collected millions of dollars as ransom and he gave me peanuts. I didn’t know the Police would come after me. But I regret my actions and would turn a new leaf. But I am happy Evans has been arrested.’
