The Inspector General of Police for the Nigeria Police Force, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, has revealed that a top Nigerian kidnapper who was arrested by the Nigerian Police two weeks ago had a Ghanaian passport as well as properties and a family in Ghana.

The Nigerian IGP further stated that Chikwudubem Onwuamadike, known simply as Evans in Nigeria, has confessed to being a former drug trafficker. The Nigerian police chief said the suspect always charged his ransom in dollars.

Mr Idris made the revelation at the ongoing West Africa National Security Conference at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra on Tuesday, 20 June, 2017.

“Last week, we arrested a kidnapper... He has houses in Ghana and his family is based here in Ghana and that’s the only kidnapper that kidnaps and demands ransom in dollars. He has collected about $6million so far in ransom and he can keep his victim for as long as six months even if it means paying this ransom in instalments. It’s sad that he keeps somebody for six months and doesn’t release the victim until that money is paid in full,” Mr Idris said.

“I was told his family is in Ghana and he has two houses in Ghana and I even have the addresses. Finally, the importance of actionable intelligence sharing cannot be overemphasised as today, through some exchange of information; Nigerians are celebrating the arrest of the Nigerian-Ghanaian. I say Nigerian-Ghanaian because he’s a Nigerian but he also has a Ghanaian passport and that is something you people have to look at,” the Nigerian police chief cautioned.