Is the police acting professionally in the handling of the ongoing investigation of the notorious billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, otherwise known as Evans. The circus around Evans must have compromised the investigation one way or another.
We at ARM decided when the news of the arrest Evans broke to be careful in the way we follow and report the story but we are shocked when a picture of Evans with some police officers appeared online. The sensationalization of the Evans story was so disgusting, unprofessional and an unmerited glorification of a criminal. It’s almost a month since Evans was captured, one would have expected him to be charged to court by now while further investigations of his accomplices and collaborators continues. Rather, we are inundated with several interviews of the criminal from countless media outlets. Evans, suddenly becomes the most important news in Nigeria.
The police in their sheer stupidity quickly promoted the officers who are involved in the arrest of Evans even though he’s yet to be successfully prosecuted and sentenced, and while investigation of his accomplices is still far from being conclusive. The officers deserves their promotion but we ought to tarry awhile. More often than not, we are given to prosecuting people on the pages of newspapers, television and radio. We have seen the arrest and prosecution of more dangerous criminals in other climes, none is as shoddy as this. Don’t our police have operational procedure? Why on earth did the police allow Evans to grant countless interviews to countless media organizations?
Will it be farfetch to say Evans might have top security operatives in his payroll? Is it not possible for Evans is passing cryptic messages to his collaborators outside with his interviews? I commend the police for arresting Evans but the over celebration of this accomplishment is worrisome when a thousand Evans are still out there.. When the mastermind of the terrorist attack in France was arrested, there was no group picture of him and the officers that apprehend on the internet, no gun salute or unnecessary celebration of his arrest. Why is our police so unprofessional. Policing is a profession that requires high secrecy, not everything about it or modus operandi must be public consumption otherwise it will be compromised. The police must be careful not to breach the trust of the people, if they did, everything will fall apart.
Is the arrest of Evans the end of the criminal act of kidnapping in Nigeria? While we are fixated with the Evans drama, it’s over a month since some students were kidnapped in Lagos and some female police officers abducted by Boko Haram. The odious interviews of Evans’ wife, other, father, etc suddenly becomes a major news. A big distraction at a time sections of the country are ditching out ultimatum to one another, when the National Assembly has decided to usurp the power and function of the executives, when the DISCOs are arbitrarily issuing huge bills for electricity not provided and when civil servants in 23 states are being owed several months salary.
The police must urgently reappraise its operation procedure of the treatment of criminals after they are captured, this circus approach used with Evans is amateurish and unprofessional. Evans did not act alone, beside his criminal gang, there are many of his collaborators out there and it is the duty of the police to fish out each and everyone of them. Myriad questions that the police must provide answers to at the end of his case are: who and who provided information to him on the people he kidnapped?; how and where they did purchase their weapons?; his collaborators in the police or other security agencies; the role of his bank, why didn’t his bank flag his account for suspicious inflow of cash? And many more.
It’s imperative the police investigate this case fully and successfully prosecute Evans, his gang members, accomplices and collaborators.
