I sell pigs to survive, says father of ‘most notorious’ kidnapper

Stephen Onwuamadike, father of Chukwudi better known as Evans, says he has been depending on the sale of pigs to survive.

The police arrested the billionaire kidnapper at one of his houses in Magodo, Lagos, over the weekend.

In an interview with New Telegraph, Onwuamadike said he was not aware that his son had acquired wealth through illegal means.

He said he did not benefit from the proceeds of crime perpetrated by his son, and blamed his former wife, mother of the kidnap kingpin known as Evans, for the atrocities committed by his son.

Onwuamadike appealed to government and security agencies to give the suspect a second chance.

“I’m suffering; I can barely put food on the table. I now survive by selling pigs… I heard about all the millions, and I said to myself, do I have such manner of rich son and the roof over my house is leaking,” he said.

“My son is a good boy, but his mother misled him. I was devastated when I heard the news through a telephone call; since that call, I had not been able to sleep. I believe in a straight forward and honest life.

“If I noticed someone is not honest, I run away from the person.”

A thriving millionaire in the early 80s and a member of the popular People’s Club of Nigeria, Onwuamadike said he lost control of Evans after his estranged wife ran away from her matrimonial home, leaving no trace.

“When my business was thriving, I did business with white people,” he said.

“I was one of the early millionaires that emerged from this town until things went wrong courtesy of my first wife in 1985. She caused me so many problems and eventually caused my financial ruins. In fact, she brought me down to where I am today.

“I did good business and it thrived; I was very successful. I have travelled to so many countries of the world in the course of my business.”