AWKA — Unconfirmed reports and widespread rumors circulating across local community channels early Tuesday suggest that prominent Anambra billionaire businessman and Chairman of Jezco Oil Nig Ltd, Chief Sir Joseph Ezeokafor (Ezeudo Aguata), may have been released by his abductors.
However, security agencies in Anambra State have not officially confirmed his release, keeping the reports strictly within the realm of unverified rumor as police tracking operations continue.
According to preliminary information reaching 247ureports, police operatives have been actively tracking the movements and digital footprint of the criminal syndicate. Security sources believe the kidnappers may not have initially realized the prominent identity of Chief Ezeokafor when he was abducted while attending a private prayer session along the Awka corridor without his usual security detail.
Efforts by 247ureports to obtain official clarification from law enforcement authorities yielded no response, as police officials in Awka could not be reached at the time of filing this report. Furthermore, public relations officers representing Operation Udo Ga-Achi—the state’s joint security outfit—stated they were unavailable to speak on the matter.
Police authorities have previously appealed for maximum cooperation, restraint, and discretion from journalists and members of the public to avoid compromising delicate intelligence-led tracking and rescue efforts.
In Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area, where community activities—including the traditional New Yam Festival—were halted following his abduction, residents remain on high alert as they await official verification regarding the industrialist’s safety and whereabouts.
Security analysts note that while the state has recorded a significant drop in high-profile abductions following the security offensive championed by Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, law enforcement officials caution against relying on unverified social media reports until a formal police statement is issued.
