How victim of Evan’s 1m Euro kidnap scheme escaped

LAGOS—The police in Lagos, weekend, arrested a pharmacist over his suspected involvement in the kidnap of his boss, Donatus Duru, the owner of a multi-national pharmaceutical company at Ilupeju area of Lagos State. 

The businessman was abducted close to his office in Ilupeju on February 14 and the abductors demanded one million Euro (N500 million) for his release. The family later paid N150 million, but the kidnappers reportedly demanded for the full payment or they would kill him. 

The suspect reportedly conspired with other members of his gang, led by their dreaded kingpin, Evans, to abduct his boss, who was kept in their hideout at Igando area of the state.

However, last Friday, the victim reportedly escaped from their hideout and alerted police detectives at the Lagos State Anti-Kidnapping Unit, who stormed the hideout and recovered a large cache of arms abandoned by the fleeing kidnappers. 

Police sources intimated Vanguard that the victim, who has gone into hiding with members of his family for fear of being attacked again, narrated gory details of his escape from the kidnapper’s den at Igando. 

The victim’s story According to the source, “the victim said that few days after he was abducted, he overheard the voice of his employee discussing with his abductors in an adjoining room. “He heard him asking the kidnappers whether they had contacted members of his family.

 Subsequently, he kept returning to give directives to those keeping watch over him, where he was chained and blindfolded inside one of the rooms in a flat. 
“Few days before his escape, the victim said the suspect came and re-assured them that he had signed all the documents for the release of goods worth about N7 million from the victim’s warehouse.

 He came the next day to ask why they had not killed him as agreed. Escape “The victim was able to unchain himself while his captors slept and escaped through the back door, landing at the next compound where a security guard jumped at him and branded him a thief. “He said that after narrating his story to the guard, he was told to wait. But he did not see the guard again after a long time. 

He sneaked out of the compound and hid somewhere else as he was unable to go further because he sprained an ankle when he jumped down from the high fence. “When it was dawn, around 5am, he saw some passers-by, ran out to narrate his plight to them, pleading for help. 

Unfortunately, the people almost lynched him, calling him a thief. “One of them, who after listening to his story, insisted that they call any of his relations for confirmation. 

They did and later took him to Igando Police Station. “Police stormed the hideout seven hours later (3p.m.), when the kidnappers had escaped. 

They only recovered arms in the building where the victim was kept.” Contacted for comments, the Deputy spokesman for Lagos State Police Command, Ifeanyi Iheanacho, said he was not aware of the arrest of anybody over the case and also denied the issue of police responding late for the rescue operation.