I Didn’t Know My Husband Was a Kidnapper” – Evans’ Wife

The arrest of notorious kidnap kingpin Chikwudubem Onwuamadike, also known as Evans, shook Nigeria in 2017. Now, his wife, Mrs. Uchenna Precious Onwuamadike, has shared her side of the story in an emotional phone interview with Vanguard’s Emma Nnadozie—an interview she describes as “shocking but revealing.”

“I Married Him at 17”

Uchenna, now 31, said she married Evans in 2004, after he approached her on her way home from school in Oraifite, Anambra State. Raised in poverty, she saw Evans as a promising young man who wanted a better life. He shared a painful upbringing—his father drove his mother out, and Evans grew up with his grandmother.

The couple had five children together. Their first daughter, Udochukwu, is now 12 years old.

“He Moved Us to Ghana for a Better Life”

Uchenna said Evans moved the family many times—first to Satellite Town in Lagos, then back to the village, and eventually to Ghana. He told her he ran a haulage business and traded in truck engines and exhaust pipes. She had no idea he was running a kidnapping ring.

“He said he wanted our children to get quality education in Ghana,” she explained. “I believed him.”

“I Never Saw Signs of Wealth or Crime”

Uchenna also said she never saw signs of the alleged wealth associated with her husband. He wore the same pair of sandals for years and never allowed her to attend social gatherings. He controlled the household strictly and kept his phone locked.

“I begged him to open a business for me, but he never did,” she said. “The only money I received from him was ₦200,000 for a trip to South Africa.”

“I Beg for Mercy”

Today, Uchenna says she is heartbroken and confused. She claims she never met Evans’ alleged girlfriends or saw any of the weapons police recovered. Her children, she adds, are still in shock over their father’s arrest.

“I am kneeling down with my children, begging for forgiveness. He is not a wicked man. Please have mercy on him,” she pleaded, calling on authorities and the victims to forgive him.