www.nairaland.com/attachments/5519093_kolin2_jpg57013b721007f05b530467d2a78ee46d

The capture of Nigeria’s most-wanted kidnapper should have been a cause for national celebration in the West African country, which has been blighted by high-profile abductions and ransom payments for years.

But instead, many Nigerians have been left angry by what they view as the national media glamorizing the crimes of Chukwudi Dumeme Onuamadike, popularly known as Evans.

Police in the port city of Lagos captured Evans from Anambra State, in southeastern Nigeria, earlier in June following a gun battle with the suspect and his associates. The 36-year-old is allegedly responsible for the abductions of numerous victims, including foreign nationals, traditional chiefs and wealthy businessmen. For some of these, he reportedly demanded ransoms of up to $1 million—almost 400 times the average annual income of a person in Nigeria. Unsurprisingly, Evans is thought to be one of Nigeria’s wealthiest criminals, owning two mansions in an upmarket Lagos district and another two in Accra, the capital of Ghana.

But now, Nigerians on social media are fuming over the media scrum for coverage of Evans. The alleged kidnapper has given interviews to several major Nigerian outlets, including a nearly nine-minute video interview with Channels Television, one of the country’s biggest networks, that has been viewed almost a quarter of a million times on YouTube. Evans’s wife and family have made emotional appeals for his release, and photos of his luxury properties have been published.

This has not gone down well with Nigerians on social media, who have called for harsh penalties for the alleged criminal. (Earlier in 2017, the Lagos governor signed a decree authorizing the death penalty for kidnappers in cases in which the victim dies.)

JJ. Omojuwa @Omojuwa
If anything less than a life jail term happens to Evans, half the Nigerian population will become kidnappers by 2040, other half? Kidnapped!

Dr. Dipo @OgbeniDipo
Evans must die.

The Lagos State law says death to kidnappers.


The director of a unit within the Nigerian president’s office, Joe Abah, said that the reporting of Evans’s crimes and lifestyle would have the effect of pushing people into crime, rather than deterring them.

Dr. Joe Abah @DrJoeAbah
#TodaysHypothesis: "It is always rude to ask a woman if she's pregnant."
#TodaysHypothesis: The media glamourisation of the Evans story is more likely to encourage kidnapping and Dollar ransoms than to deter it.


There was even a short-lived #FreeEvans hashtag campaign in a misguided attempt to obtain the suspected criminal’s freedom. That did not last long with Nigerian Twitter.


Igala_Alan_Shore @i_am_Anomeli
If you collected money to trend #FreeEvans, may the fleas of 1000 camels attack your groin & may your hands be too short to reach & scratch.


King. @teddi_speaks
You wont be tweeting #freeevans if you've been a victim of kidnapping. Disgusting hash tag.


For the time being, the fate of one of Nigeria’s most notorious criminals remains unclear: High-profile trials often take years in Nigeria, and Evans has reportedly promised to become an anti-kidnapping ambassador if he is granted a second chance. But one thing is clear: Nigerians have no time for nonsense on social media.

http://www.newsweek.com/twitter-nigeria-evans-nigeria-corruption-nigeria-627614

Me sef wonder oo.
Instead of doing the needful by taking necessary legal steps, They are making a celebrity of him.

Evans trended on twitter Nigeria for over 5 days straight, trended on nairaland front page for like 24 hrs a day for almost two weeks stretch, his name is the most searched name on Google Nigeria, his videos has the highest views on YouTube I even have it on my phone, Facebook the same thing even I'm sure if there's a game called Evans the kidnapper on playstore, it would have been the the most downloaded, even ahead of God of War
I just weak

Hmm
This Evans jazzz stronggg o

Is twitter now a human being that fumes?

How many times will I tell you that this guy is not 36. That it is his kidnapping age not his real age

The wailing Kanu sheeples will not say anything now ooo.... But if na human head dem go dey shout.

Bollocks!

Chief BMC Omojuwa

Evans 36?

That's a bloody lie

Nigeria,


The land where comedy abounds




Smh

he must die...

OrestesDante:
How many times will I tell you that this guy is not 36. That it is his kidnapping age not his real age

Only idiots will believe he's 36

Odikwa egu.

The Nigerian police acted unprofessionally by revealing too much and since the police allowed the bird (Evans) to sing publicly without control, the media people have come to make money out of his many songs.
Just look at how much traffic his stories have generated for many websites.

So blame the police.

This eveans should be taught a very big lesson, to the extent that if he's not killed, he should be a walking corpse

alrite

Dat Igala of a man is funny o

But seriously how can a sane person call for Evans to be freed? Nothing short of a death penalty will do. He should face firing squad and the event should be televised live. Good riddance!

We have rotten state, therefore we get to celebrate odd events, our honorable and excellency had bastardized the name.. What do you expect when the head is bad..

The problem is not Evans but the system.

This guy should be flogged naked live for everyone to see, right after that he should have his joystick cut off and boiled before his very eyes. Then he can have his firing squad.

This is getting crazy day by day,hw can a criminal be so popular like dis and be lost in the euphoria of it.
Hmmmm,all dis propaganda is jst to divert masses attention and manipulate the whole issues

Mehn, Am I the only one that saw this post,

"If you collected money to trend #FreeEvans, may the fleas of 1000 camels attack your groin & may your hands be too short to reach & scratch.

Baba, I twale for you. If you are a Nairalander, may the good lord open my eyes the day I will encounter you so that I will never make the mistake of engaging you in an e-War. God Forbid.

Pure nonsense Evans is not just a kidnapper but an high way robber ,who use to spray luxurious bus with bullet ,he raped his victims ,kill who ever he want at will ,he turn Nigerian living both in and outside to jelly ,please tell who ever has share out oof his bounty in the police to stop taking photo with the bustard he should die by leather injection taking $1.3millon from a single deal .please let our police be more professional .someone using leg chain on an innocent man .Evans should be taking to mushin or oshodi and let them deal with him

The government should kill this Evans guy already! Abeg!


Make person hear word!

They should be careful, before they start celebrating him