Police arrest soldier in Lagos as Evans gang member

The Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) has arrested a soldier in  Lagos for allegedly being part of the gang of the notorious kidnapper, Chukwudi  Onuwamadike, alias Evans.

A police source, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, said that the team led by ACP Abba Kyari arrested the soldier after weeks of  surveillance.

The source said that the soldier,  a Lance Corporal, was arrested on Friday at about 9 p.m in Ojo area of Lagos.

The source, however, said that police detectives in a follow-up to the confession made by Evans, led to the arrest of the soldier who was a member of the army band at  Abalti Barrack, Surulere.

It said that the kidnap kingpin had told policemen during interrogation that some notable people collaborated with him in his operations for seven years.

The source said the soldier in his confessional statement, said he had accompanied Evans in three different kidnap operations in Lagos, and got N2 million, N1.5 million and N3 million respectively as his shares.

“There are serious efforts to apprehend other gang members and efforts will be made  to  arrest of others,’’ the source said.

NAN reports that the billionaire kidnapper was arrested on June 10 after being hunted by police for seven years at his Magodo Estate mansion in Lagos.

He  told the police during interrogation that some yet to be known notable people collaborated with him during his  operations.

CSP Mosheed Jimoh, the Force Spokesman, had promised while parading the kidnap  that every name mentioned by the gang members would be arrested, no matter how highly placed.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of Police ,Lagos State in charge of Administration, Dansuki Galadanchi, had denied media report that the command released one Emeka, who gave out his boss  Evans and his gang members.

Galadanchi said that after Emeka’s boss, Chief Donatus Duru  escaped from the kidnappers’ detention camp in Igando, the suspect was arrested and charged to Ebute-Meta Magistrate Court 2 and was remanded in prison afterwards.

“It came as a surprise to the police, when a television station reported that the suspect escaped from the police custody.

“Emeka was never in our custody, we charged him to court immediately we arrested him, how come they now said we allowed him to escape from our custody, that is not true,” he said.