Kidnapped Business Mogul Joseph Ezeokafor Regains Freedom After Days in Captivity

By Samuel Ike, Abuja

Chief Sir Joseph Ebere Ezeokafor, Chairman of the Jezco Group of Companies, has regained his freedom after spending several days in the custody of kidnappers.

Ezeokafor, popularly known as “Jezco” and father of social media personality Jowi Zaza, was abducted in the early hours of Tuesday while travelling to a prayer ground in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

His release followed intense anxiety among family members, business associates and well-wishers across the country. During his captivity, the abductors reportedly contacted his family and demanded a ransom running into hundreds of millions of naira.

Sources close to the family disclosed that the businessman was released near the boundary between Enugu and Anambra states, around the Ebenebe axis close to Awka. He was subsequently picked up late at night by a family member and reunited with his loved ones.

As of the time of filing this report, the circumstances surrounding his release remained unclear, while authorities had yet to disclose whether any ransom was paid to secure his freedom.

The development has been widely welcomed by family, friends and members of the business community. Ezeokafor is the founder of Jezco Oil and Lubricants, a company he established in 1980 and expanded into a diversified business conglomerate with interests in manufacturing, energy and other sectors of the economy.