After the arrest of notorious kidnap kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, known as Evans, in 2017, a new gang emerged, targeting the wealthy in Lagos. This gang operated freely for over a year, demanding ransoms in both naira and dollars from their affluent victims.
Their areas of operation included Ago Palace Way, Isolo, Okota, Ladipo auto spare parts market, Festac, and other environs. They used the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway to escape and negotiate ransoms from a hidden location. The gang insisted on ransoms of no less than N1 billion, threatening to kill their victims if their demands were not met or if information leaked to the police.
Last week, the gang met its end in the Ladipo area of Lagos. The police, alerted by intelligence reports, foiled their plot to kidnap a wealthy international businessman. Eagle-eyed officers from the Commissioner of Police Special Squad confronted the gang, killing nine members. Recovered from the scene were four AK-47 rifles, four semi-automatic pistols, nine AK47 magazines, three walkie-talkies, a POS machine, a loudspeaker, and two vehicles.
The police’s success was due to detailed intelligence and the strategic execution by detectives from the Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja, under the guidance of Commissioner of Police Adegoke Fayoade. Previous attempts by different Commissioners of Police had only curtailed the gang’s activities without neutralizing them.
The gang was responsible for numerous kidnappings, including:
– A businessman in Ikotun on April 10, 2023, who paid $8000 in ransom.
– Another businessman in Ago Okota on the same date, who paid N5 million.
– A millionaire beverage seller in Ago Okota on April 23, 2023, who paid around N1 billion.
– A businessman returning from Ogun State in Ikotun, who paid in tranches of $6000 and $3,600.
– Multiple other businessmen, with ransoms ranging from N6 million to N120 million.
The gang continued their operations, demanding and receiving large ransoms, until their final attempt to kidnap a rich businessman in Ladipo market. A friend of the businessman, who had previously been kidnapped and paid a substantial ransom, warned him of the gang’s plans.
Acting on this intelligence, the Commissioner of Police mobilized a special squad led by CSP Kehinde Oni. Using the principles of Silence, Speed, and Surprise, the squad confronted the kidnappers. The ensuing shootout, lasting over three hours, resulted in nine gang members being killed, while two escaped.
Detectives are currently pursuing the remaining gang members and plan to raid their hideouts, including the homes of their deceased leader, who reportedly had four wives and built mansions in the South-Eastern part of the country.
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