Evans And The Lessons…

Written by:  Tai Emeka Obasi 

Last month, precisely on June 10(how can I ever forget any big event on my birthday?), the most sophisticated and intelligent criminal since Independent Nigeria was nabbed in Lagos, precisely at his residence in Magodo Estate.

I became instantly interested. As a writer who revels in the Thriller genre, Evans provided every index of a bestselling novel. And, of course, a blockbuster movie. Two days later I got a call from an unknown number that turned out one of my numerous clients in the Nollywood industry. He was interested in a script the activities of Evans. Next day another called, interested in scripting same subject. Less than 24 hours later a third called.

I ended up settling with the first caller…not necessarily on first-call-first-served basis but rather that the first producer convinced me he would not spare resources in producing the movie exactly the way I’d script it. I warned him it’d take me one month to script as I was still researching and studying everything about the Nnewi-born kidnap kingpin.

Yes, Nnewi-born. Evans real name, Chukwudi Chukwudumeje Onwuamadike, hails from Umudim, Nnewi…Umudim and my own Nza, Ozubulu have common boundary. Of course I didn’t use the name Nnewi in my script…I know much better than that but let me say this in writing once more - I’m proud, very proud of my own town Ozubulu but there’s one town that I respect more than any other town in Africa.

That town is Nnewi.

There’s something about any origin of Nnewi…he’s ever competing in whatever he does. He strives to be the best in any endeavor. When the cliché, ‘’Warri no dey carry last’’came out, I laughed. Nnewi is the only town I know that doesn’t carry last in any endeavor. In fact, you’d always see him amongst the firsts. Any Nnewi man or woman is ever smart…some mistake it for selfishness…term it anything but it boils down to the fact he’s ever a fierce competitor in any endeavor he/she undertakes.

If you’re into business and want to prosper, follow the footsteps of the Nnewi man. He may not willingly teach you if you’re not truly from Nnewi town but you have to be smart to learn from him without going for his advice. But most people, instead of bending to learn from the bests, end up wallowing in envy. Instead of respecting the ingenuity of one God has abundantly blessed ends up scandalizing such successes with mundane insinuations. Stand up and salute the Nnewi man anywhere you are. God has made him a genius. Any Nnewi man anywhere that is not successful should blame himself for failing to discover the hidden talent God willingly endowed him with.

Was there any richer businessman in West Africa than Sir Louis Ojukwu? Was there any more courageous Igbo man that could have led Biafra than his own son, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu? Was there any better transporter than Ekene Dili Chukwu? What about Chikason, Cosharis, Ibeto, Innoson, Capital Oil? Were there many Finance ministers more respected than Dr. Chu Okongwu? Is there any clearing and forwarding agent bigger than Denca Services? What about Nwafor Orizu? Examples are legion. But what gladdens the heart more than any other is when one takes a trip to the town. Nnewi should be the most indigenous industrialised town in West Africa…all set up by sons of the town.

So when I was researching and studying the activities of Evans, I discovered that the super intelligent man only applied the Nnewi brain wrongly. The press didn’t tell us half of Evans’ ingenuity. The Police do not want the public to know exactly what they went through before subduing and arresting the kingpin.

Any day ACP Abba Kyari opens up on the real intelligence and counter-intelligence tussle involved in the Evans debacle, Nigerians will wow.

For security purposes yes, but I suspect for something much more incriminating, the public are being fed with kindergarten stuff.

The quality of security information that flew to Evans is not possible without coming from some dubious few in the very top of handling our security affairs. The way Evans managed funds and conveniently handled his ransoms in foreign currencies was not possible without some astute assistance from dubious bankers. The way Evans managed to stay off electronic tracking even though he smartly used Thuraya and Vertu phones was not possible without collaboration with some bad eggs deep in the technical departments of GSM network providers. I noticed inconsistent tales while carrying out my investigations but I was very careful with scripting. I wouldn’t want Censors’ Board withholding my producer’s work when done.

There are many other tales that didn’t add up …why would a sixth-sense-operating brain like Evans go for Amaka even when he was certain she was being used as bait? The police didn’t want the public to know exactly why Evans went to his mistress’ house that early June 10 morning. As a writer I know better and made educated guesses.

Though Evans script took up all my energy in a month of researching and scripting it was interestingly challenging. I may have written one of my best five scripts ever. If the producer lives up to his promises of producing the work as written, spending enough funds to capture the intentions and succinctly deliver them on screen, I’d say watch out!

But besides all these entertainment prospects, what do we take home from Evans?

I have no doubt the kidnap president would have effectively competed with the likes of Innoson if the secondary school dropout hadn’t veered off into negativity. But what would have been Evans’ positive ingenuity was destroyed by a broken marriage. If both parents had withered their differences and stayed together, given their son enough education and put him on the right path, they’d today be enjoying the fruits from a multi-billionaire in any genuine business endeavour.

Evans is a case study on why marriages should resist break-ups and even when it becomes absolutely inevitable, a woman should be very careful while insisting on taking her male child/ren and bringing him/them up on her own. That is exactly how Evans got his freedom to dive into crime – from a mother who wanted to prove to him that she cared more than the father and hence failed to use that cane where necessary.

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