The abduction of Anambra State based businessman, Chief Joseph Ezeokafor, father of socialite and businessman, Jowizaza, has taken a dramatic turn after one of his daughters publicly blamed her brother’s alleged display of wealth and lifestyle on social media for creating the impression that the family has huge financial resources.
The businessman, who is said to be the chairman of Jezco Group, was abducted after leaving his residence for a prayer ground as part of his annual spiritual routine.
The situation became more alarming after reports emerged that the alleged kidnappers had increased their ransom demand from N700 million to N1.5 billion.
Amid the uncertainty surrounding the businessman’s whereabouts, his daughter, identified as Ezeokafor Blessing, took to Facebook to express anger over what she described as the “madness” and “fake life” associated with her brother’s public image.
In a strongly worded post, she directly addressed Jowizaza, accusing him of creating unnecessary social media noise and making people believe the family has money that was allegedly not readily available.
According to her, the family is already facing enormous financial obligations, contrary to the impression she claimed had been created online.
She alleged that her brother’s public display of wealth made people assume that the family could easily produce huge sums of money, a situation she fears may have contributed to the reported ransom demands surrounding their father.
“U are the cause of this madness, social media noise,” she wrote, adding that her brother allegedly used “audio money” to make people believe that the money was available.
Blessing went further to make a startling claim about the family’s alleged financial situation, saying they were owing banks billions of naira.
She specifically alleged that the family was indebted to banks, including FCMB and Union Bank, with the outstanding obligations running into tens of billions of naira.
Also, she claimed that the family is struggling financially, despite the perception of affluence surrounding Jowizaza’s lifestyle.
Her post appeared to challenge the billionaire image often associated with her brother online, with the family member describing the situation as a “fake life” and accusing him of publicly claiming wealth she alleged they did not have.
The most disturbing part of the post, however, was her reference to their father’s reported abduction.
Blessing said the family’s alleged financial situation has become known to people who might assume they had the capacity to pay a huge ransom.
She pleaded with the alleged abductors to release her father, insisting that the family was not swimming in the kind of money they might have assumed from her brother’s public image.
“Please leave my dad alone,” she appealed, while describing the family as being deeply indebted.
The development has sparked questions about the potentially dangerous consequences of projecting an image of extreme wealth in a country where kidnapping for ransom remains a major security concern.
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The reported ransom demand of N1.5 billion has also intensified the controversy. According to reports, the alleged abductors initially demanded N700 million but later increased the amount after negotiations reportedly failed to secure the businessman’s release.
The family was said to have remained willing to negotiate, but the alleged kidnappers reportedly stopped communicating, leaving relatives uncertain about Ezeokafor’s condition and whereabouts.
The reported communication breakdown has further heightened anxiety among the businessman’s relatives, associates and members of his community.
As of the time of the reports contained in the screenshots, there was no official confirmation from the Anambra State Police Command or the state government addressing the allegations or providing details about the businessman’s condition.
