Jezco Boss Kidnapped on Way to Prayer Ground as Abductors Demand N1.5bn
Kidnappers holding Anambra businessman and Chairman of Jezco Group, Chief Sir Joseph Ezeokafor, have reportedly increased their ransom demand from N700 million to N1.5 billion.
The abductors were said to have initially contacted the businessman’s family and demanded N700 million.
According to a source familiar with the development, the family agreed to the amount as part of efforts to secure the septuagenarian’s release.
The kidnappers, however, later raised the demand to N1.5 billion and have reportedly stopped communicating with the family.
The source said the family remained prepared to negotiate, but repeated attempts to restore contact with the abductors had not produced any result.
Ezeokafor was reportedly abducted around 2am on Tuesday, a week before the latest development, after leaving his residence for a prayer ground as part of his annual spiritual retreat.
Jezcos boss, Ezeokafor
He was said to have gone out without his security personnel, leaving him vulnerable to the kidnappers.
Despite the passage of about a week since the abduction, the Anambra State Government and the state Police Command have yet to publicly comment on the incident.
