AWKA — In a massive sigh of relief that has swept across Anambra State, Sir Joseph Ezeokafor, the billionaire founder of the Jezco Group, has finally been released after spending 10 terrifying days in the den of kidnappers.
The 72-year-old industrialist, whose abduction sparked a massive family feud online regarding his son Jowizaza’s “fake Instagram wealth” and the company’s financial crisis, is finally breathing the air of freedom.
The N1.5 Billion Ransom Payout
Despite the damning allegations made by his daughter, Blessing, regarding the family’s crippling debt, sources have revealed that the kidnappers ultimately got their massive payday.
According to a close family source, a staggering ₦1.5 billion ransom was paid to secure the patriarch’s release. The abductors had initially demanded ₦700 million, which the family had agreed to pay, before the criminals sensed there might be more money to squeeze out and cruelly hiked the ransom to ₦1.5 billion. Following the payment, Sir Ezeokafor was released in the early hours of Saturday, August 15.
Where and How Did the Release Happen?
The dramatic handover did not happen in the heart of Awka. Instead, the terribly emaciated Sir Ezeokafor was picked up by a brave family member in the Ebenebe area, located near the treacherous Anambra-Enugu state border.
Security sources now indicate that this dense border axis has rapidly become a notorious new camp for kidnapping syndicates operating within the region.
The Mystery of the Reverend Sister
Sir Ezeokafor was not released alone. He regained his freedom alongside a Reverend Sister who was abducted by the same armed gang at Ifite-Awka.
As of the time of this report, the identity of the Reverend Sister remains strictly undisclosed by both the church and the authorities. She safely returned alongside the billionaire on Saturday morning, bringing an end to her own harrowing captivity.
Can the Kidnappers Be Caught?
With the victims now safe, the focus shifts to vengeance and justice. Can these heavily armed criminals ever be caught and prosecuted? The authorities seem to think so.
The Anambra State Police Command, through its spokesman SP Tochukwu Ikenga, officially confirmed the release on Saturday. In response, the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, has ordered an intensified, intelligence-led manhunt for the perpetrators.
This is no longer just a police matter. A massive joint task force comprising the Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Military, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and local Agunechemba security operatives has been deployed to smoke the kidnappers out of their Ebenebe border hideouts.
The Mood in Ekwulobia and Anambra
The release has completely shifted the atmosphere in Anambra State from gloom to jubilant relief.
The pain of the abduction had cut so deep that Sir Ezeokafor’s hometown of Ekwulobia had previously taken the drastic step of cancelling their highly anticipated annual New Yam Festival in solidarity with their captive son. Today, the dark cloud over Ekwulobia has lifted. While the Ezeokafor family may still have to deal with the public fallout of Blessing’s N40 billion debt bombshell and Jowizaza’s social media lifestyle, the paramount goal has been achieved: the patriarch is alive, safe, and finally home.
Keep following ABT NEWS (www.abtnews.net) for more exclusive updates as security agencies close in on the kidnappers.
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