The Anambra businessman was abducted in the early hours of Tuesday, August 4, after leaving his residence for a prayer ground in Awka.
Chief J. J. Ezeokafor, chairman of Jezco Group and father of Nigerian socialite Jowizaza, has regained his freedom after being abducted in Ifite-Awka, Anambra State. The Anambra State Police Command confirmed on Saturday, August 15, that Ezeokafor and a Reverend Sister who was also abducted had been released and safely returned.
Police say the circumstances surrounding their release are still being investigated, while security agencies have launched an intensified manhunt for those responsible.
Key Facts
Who: Chief J. J. Ezeokafor, chairman of Jezco Group and father of socialite Jowizaza; a Reverend Sister was also abducted.
What: Both victims have been released and safely returned.
When: Ezeokafor was abducted on Tuesday, August 4; the police confirmed his release on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
Where: Ifite-Awka, Awka, Anambra State.
Source: Anambra State Police Command, through spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga.
Key detail: Police have not disclosed whether a ransom was paid or exactly how the victims were released.
The kidnapping ordeal involving businessman Chief J. J. Ezeokafor has ended with his safe return. Ezeokafor, who is widely known as the father of socialite Jowizaza, was abducted in the early hours of Tuesday, August 4, after leaving his residence for a prayer ground in the Ifite-Awka area of Anambra State. A Reverend Sister abducted in the same area has also regained her freedom.
The Anambra State Police Command confirmed the development on August 15 through its spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga. The command said it was taking steps to establish the circumstances surrounding the release and obtain information that could help investigators identify the perpetrators. The police did not say whether a ransom was paid.
The case had attracted considerable attention because of Ezeokafor's prominence as a businessman and his connection to Jowizaza, whose highly visible luxury lifestyle has made the family familiar to a large social-media audience. Earlier reports alleged that the kidnappers had demanded ransom, with figures of ₦700 million and later ₦1.5 billion circulating in the media. Those figures have not been confirmed by the police, so they should not be treated as established facts.
What is confirmed is more limited — and important. Ezeokafor is alive and has returned safely, while authorities are still trying to determine exactly what happened during the period of captivity and how the release was secured. That distinction matters in a story where several claims circulated online before the police confirmed the central development.
The police response has also moved from locating the victims to identifying whoever was responsible. Commissioner of Police CP Nnanna Oji Ama has directed intensified intelligence-led operations and a manhunt involving the police, DSS, military, NSCDC, Agunechemba security operatives and other relevant agencies.
Context: What Happened Before His Release?
News of Ezeokafor's disappearance first became public around August 9–10, with reports citing lawyer Chukwudi Iwuchukwu as the original public source of the abduction claim. Those early reports said Ezeokafor had gone to a mountain in Awka for prayers without his usual security personnel. At that stage, the police had not officially confirmed the abduction.
The situation later developed into a wider public security concern, with reports of alleged ransom negotiations and claims about the family's financial circumstances circulating online. Some of those claims became part of public discussion, but they remain separate from what the authorities have formally established.
That is why the police's latest statement is significant: it confirms the outcome — Ezeokafor and the Reverend Sister are free — while making clear that the underlying investigation is not finished.
The safe return of Ezeokafor is welcome news for his family and associates, but the unanswered questions surrounding the abduction remain significant. In particular, the public still does not have an official account of how the victims were released, whether money changed hands, or who organised the kidnapping.
For Anambra, the next important development will therefore not simply be another update about the victims. It will be whether the intelligence gathered after their release leads investigators to the people behind the attack.
What should the public expect from the authorities next — answers about how the victims were released, or arrests of those responsible?
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