*Airing a plea for criminal by media means Nigeria is sick – Respondent
“Don’t forget that we have always had situation where people would be arrested over crimes particularly maritime crimes such as importation of dangerous items like weapons, expired tyres and adulterated fuel into this country and some people would go and influence how it should not be aired by the media. But now somebody in the media cannot be influenced not to air this unfortunate plea. Is this done in the name of ethics of the profession or democratic practice? Where then is the patriotism of the professionals involved? You are first and foremost a Nigerian before you are journalists. If Nigeria is engulfed with kidnappers and under agents of insecurity, you won’t be able to go out and practice journalism. Take note of that,” he said.
Wife of Nnewi, Anambra State-born billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudubem Onwuamadike, alias Evans, Precious, in a media (not The DEFENDER) interview has said her husband, the undeniable notorious, self-confessed criminal, is a prayer warrior and church goer that used to lead morning and evening prayers at home.
She therefore called for the release of the kidnapping kinpin saying he must be under a curse to have been part of the heinous crimes he, according to her, was accused of.
In the interview with Vanguard, Mrs. Onwuamadike said further that Evans reads “Psalm 23 a lot” and disclosed also that her husband was suffering from cancer, which is why, according her, he neither drinks nor smoke.
“He did not know what he was doing,” Precious said.
“He reads psalm 23 a lot. Even his phone, he sets alarm for 12 noon to read psalm 23. He took part in our daily prayers in the morning, evening and night. He used to lead us in prayers. We attend Anglican Church. He has never given them money to show off,” she said.
“We used to give N5000 or N10,000 and the highest we have given so far was N50,000 when we baptised one of our children. I am appealing to the powers that be to spare his life (crying), as I speak now, I am kneeling down with my children, crying and begging for forgiveness. Have mercy on us.
“He did not know what came over him. I am ready to come back to Nigeria and plead on his behalf. What I am reading in the news is shocking. Though, I have not heard that he killed anybody but all those he injured or took their money should please forgive him because me and my children.
“They should kindly forgive him, he will repent. God knows I will not be alive and see my husband doing bad thing and keep quiet.”
She added that all her husband’s wealth should be sold and shared among his victims.
“All his wealth should be sold off and given to his victims. Evans is a good man. He takes care of all his relations including the children of the second wife we are suspecting did this to him. He has just two houses in Ghana but I have never seen them,” she said.
“I saw the house on his phone. Since I have been living with him, he has never injured anybody or beat me. He has milk of human kindness in his heart. He has not been harsh or wicked to anybody.
“He always advised us to be prayerful I (starts crying again) and complains bitterly any time I failed to pray. His neighbours also know him as a kind and generous man.
“He has cancer and does not drink alcohol nor smoke anything. I have never seen gun in our house. I don’t know where they got those frightening guns.
“He has never told me he has another house at Igando. Any time he went out, he always called to ask after the children and reassure me that he would be back soon.”
Upon his arrest, Evans has revealed vital information about his mega kidnap operation to the police. This has led to the arrest of some of his gang members.
Airing a plea for criminal by media means Nigeria is sick – Respondent
In a swift response by a respondent of The DEFENDER Saturday night, the publication of the wife of the notorious kidnapper by any media organization was described as meaning that “Nigeria is sick.”
Reacting to the report, the respondent, who traditionally spoke under strict condition of anonymity, said, “At this time that we can read in a Nigerian newspaper that a woman, purportedly claiming to be wife of a notorious kidnapper who has made billions doing the crime feeding her and her children with proceeds of the crimes, would publicly shamelessly not only identifying with the criminal who had terrorized Nigeria for years but also trying to trivialize his crimes by denying them and saying as a man of God who reads ‘Psalm 23 a lot’, he did not know what he was doing and so should be forgiven and released, we must begin to ask ourselves, of what purpose is the media role to the building of Nigeria as crime, corrupt-free society?
“One, the wife is funny. She denied the crimes of her husband. For that statement alone, she should be arrested by the police as stakeholder in the crimes. Let the police arrest her first, you will see that serious interrogations of her will further reveal to us what even her husband has not told the security agents.
“I am waiting to see how Nigerians will receive the plea for mercy on behalf the notorious kidnapper. I am also waiting to see how the Igbo where the billionaire kidnapper comes from will react to it. It is high time the Igbo of this country begin to tell us if they really see anything as business or deny that is not their act. But for now, while I continue to wait for reactions of Nigerians and particularly Igbo to this unfortunate plea of mercy trying to present Evans to us as a man of God that could have been under a spell to terrorise an over 180-million population, I want to say Nigeria’s Federal Government should speaks boldly on this act of allowing criminals and their shameless relations to speak in the public.
“Don’t forget that we have always had situation where people would be arrested over crimes particularly maritime crimes such as importation of dangerous items like weapons, expired tyres and adulterated fuel into this country and some people would go and influence how it should not be aired by the media. But now somebody in the media cannot be influenced not to air this unfortunate plea. Is this done in the name of ethics of the profession or democratic practice? Where then is the patriotism of the professionals involved? You are first and foremost a Nigerian before you are journalists. If Nigeria is engulfed with kidnappers and under agents of insecurity, you won’t be able to go out and practice journalism. Take note of that because, all the confessions this man has made were never under duress. Even his past victims have corroborated it. for what reason therefore is the media trying to hear the side of a criminal that never had sympathy for anybody?” He asked.
“At this time that we can read in a Nigerian newspaper that a woman, purportedly claiming to be wife of a notorious kidnapper who has made billions doing the crime feeding her and her children with proceeds of the crimes, would publicly shamelessly not only identifying with the criminal who had terrorized Nigeria for years but also trying to trivialize his crimes by denying them and saying as a man of God who reads ‘Psalm 23 a lot’, he did not know what he was doing and so should be forgiven and released, we must begin to ask ourselves, of what purpose is the media role to the building of Nigeria as crime, corrupt-free society?”
