Anambra business leader Chief Sir Joseph Ezeokafor remains in the hands of his abductors more than a week after gunmen seized him, with the gang now demanding a staggering N1.5 billion for his freedom.
The 70-something-year-old chairman of Jezco Group was taken in the early hours of a Tuesday while heading alone to a prayer ground for his yearly spiritual retreat.
He had left his security team at home, creating an opening the kidnappers quickly exploited.
Sources close to the family say the abductors first contacted relatives and set a N700 million ransom.
The family indicated readiness to meet that figure in a bid to bring the elderly industrialist home safely.
Days later, the demand more than doubled to N1.5 billion. Negotiations then abruptly halted. Relatives have made repeated attempts to restore contact, but the kidnappers have stopped responding.
“We were prepared to do what was necessary when they asked for N700 million,” a family associate told this reporter on condition of anonymity.
“Now they have vanished after raising the stakes. Every day without word feels heavier.”
Neither the Anambra State Police Command nor state government officials have issued any public statement on the case. The silence has only deepened the family’s anxiety.
Ezeokafor’s sudden disappearance has sent shockwaves through business circles in the South-East.
Associates describe him as a quiet but influential figure whose annual prayer journeys were well known in local circles.
As the days stretch on with no breakthrough, the family continues to hope the lines of communication will reopen. For now, the fate of the Jezco Group chairman hangs in uncertain balance.