Ezinano Community Leader Taken to Court Over Missing Businessman ‘Big Ben,’ Kinsmen React

A community leader in Ezinano, Awka South Local Government Area, and CEO of Mango and Lion Properties Ltd, Ozo Jeff Nweke, has been dragged to court over allegations of kidnapping a missing businessman, Mr. Ben Ezemma. Ezemma, who is also known as Big Ben, has been missing since November 12, 2024, after leaving his hotel room to attend a meeting. No information has surfaced about his whereabouts since then, prompting his wife to call for assistance from security agencies.

Sources revealed that Nweke has been taken to an Anambra High Court in Awka under Charge No: AWK/6c/2025, where security agencies have alleged his involvement in the abduction of Ezemma. This news has sparked concern within the Ezinano community, with local residents calling for a thorough investigation by the police and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Community leaders have strongly denied the accusations, calling them false. Chief Arinze Ekelem, a prominent figure in Ezinano, defended Nweke, insisting that the allegations were part of a smear campaign. He emphasized that Nweke, a respected figure in the fight against land encroachments in the area, could not be involved in such criminal activity. “I don’t think their accusation is right because Ozo Jeff Nweke is above what they are accusing him of. This is all a frame-up,” Ekelem stated, urging security agencies to focus on other leads, particularly Ezemma’s business associates, with whom he had reportedly been having issues before his disappearance.

Similarly, Chief Richard Onuorah, another community leader, denounced the kidnapping accusations as part of a plot to discredit Nweke. He suggested that Nweke’s role as the Taskforce Chairman of Ezinano and his involvement in resolving land disputes had made him a target. “This is just a gang-up by some enemies who want to tarnish his reputation and push him out of the land issues we are facing with neighboring towns,” Onuorah said, highlighting ongoing land disputes with Enugwu-Agidi and other towns. The community leaders urged the public and the Anambra government to be aware of the situation and support Nweke in his efforts to protect the land rights of Ezinano.