I don't collect N10m ransom-Evans goes on his knees, begs victims

Some victims appeared at the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, where they accosted kidnap kingpin, Evans.

Confronting his former captives in chains and handcuffs was such an ironic sight for Evans, on whose orders many were chained .

With most of the victims he kidnapped at FESTAC and other areas in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area present, Evans appeared obviously sober, as he knelt down pleading to be forgiven.

However, what he got in return were questions from the victims, who demanded to know how he got information that facilitated their abduction. But Evans, who was preoccupied with his pleas for forgiveness, gave no answers to that.

After this encounter with his known victims, a man, who claimed to have been kidnapped by Evans accosted him, but the kingpin denied abducting him. The alleged victim, who identified himself as Murphy Ajala, a hotel owner in Apapa, Lagos, accused Evans of kidnapping him in 2010.

Ajala told Evans that he abducted him at the entrance of his hotel after he returned from the Coronation of Ojota of Ijora and was taken in his Hummer SUV to a bush in Ajah. Ajala narrated that he recognized Evans at the time he was abducted, adding that he was blindfolded with his underwear.

He said Evans was younger at that time and was trotting an Ak-47 rifle, insisting that Evans was the person, who dragged him into his vehicle before they zoomed off. The alleged victim, who claimed to be a British citizen, said Evans and his gang abandoned his SUV at Lekki, where it was later found and demanded a ransom of N10, 000,000 from his family.

He stated that he was asked to sleep on the bare floor, stating that he was beaten regularly so as to have him beg his family to pay the ransom.

Ajala told Saturday Vanguard that Evans was the leader of the group, saying that he came regularly at night where he was held with his rifle hung on his shoulder threatening to kill him. He stated that his family and friends were able to raise the sum of N10 million which was converted into US dollars before he was released.

When Evans came before Ajala, he looked at him and said bluntly; ‘’I didn’t kidnap you.’’ Evans then asked him: ‘’How much did you pay as ransom?’’ Ajala responded thus: “I paid N10million.” Upon hearing that, Evans declared: ‘’I don’t collect N10million as ransom’” Ajala, however, insisted that Evans was behind his kidnap.

At that point, Evans threw a question at the man thus: “ I thought your case had been concluded by the Police.” Instantaneously, everyone in the room asked Evans who kidnapped the man. And he responded thus: “I don’t know.”

I don’t kidnap women

Another victim, a middle-aged woman whose identity was unknown also confronted Evans at the SARS office, Ikeja, screaming that Evans kidnapped her and collected the sum of N5million as ransom. Evans looked at the woman and said;

“Madam, I wasn’t the one who kidnapped you, and I don’t kidnap women. I also do not collect ransom as little as N5million. You may have to look elsewhere for the person that kidnapped you.”

Vanguard Newspaper reports raised my BP

Also, during the Tuesday encounter with Evans, the kidnap kingpin, called this reporter by his name and said that before his arrest, reports by Vanguard often raised his Blood Pressure, BP. He said to avoid having his BP on the high side, he decided to stop reading reports by Vanguard and started reading only the headlines.

Evans also disclosed to SaturdayVanguard that he had a team of lawyers, who he paid annually to defend him in the event of an eventuality, adding that the lawyers were aware of his arrest. He, however, refused to reveal the identity of the lawyers