A community leader in Ezinano, Awka South Local Government Area and Chief Executive Officer of Mango and Lion Properties Ltd, Ozo Jeff Nweke, has been dragged to court over allegation of kidnapping missing businessman, Mr Ben Ezemma.
Ezemma, also known as Big Ben, is the Vice Chairman of Dubai Estate in Awka. He has been missing since November 12, 2024, after he left his hotel room to attend a meeting with his associates.
No news of him has been heard since then, prompting his wife to cry out to security agencies for help.
But Arogidigba Global Journal gathered that Nweke has been dragged to an Anambra High Court, Awka, with Charge No: AWK/6c/2025, by security agencies over his alleged involvement in the kidnap of the missing businessman.
Members of Ezinano community who revealed this to journalists expressed concern over the allegation, urging the police and Department of State Services, DSS, to investigate the matter.
Addressing a press conference in Awka on Sunday, a community leader in Ezinano, Chief Arinze Ekelem described the allegation as lies, insisting that the plot was to smear Nweke who has been a strong voice in fighting against encroachment of lands belonging to the community.
He said: “I don’t think their accusation is right because Ozo Jeff Nweke is above what they are accusing him of. I am not ignorant of what they are saying in the social media of which all are mere frame up.
“Security operatives have a lot to do, concerning this, to ensure that they find out what really happened to the businessman.
“I don’t know him (missing businessman), but I have heard much about him, concerning his good relationship with Ezinano people. We have never quarreled with him. So, what then would prompt an indigene of Ezinano to start thinking of doing anything bad to the man.”
He urged police to work on multiple leads, especially Ezemma’s business associates, with whom he was said to be having issues before his mysterious disappearance.
Another community leader, Chief Richard Onuorah, who also spoke to journalists, said, “Jeff Nweke is the Taskforce Chairman of Ezinano. We read on Facebook about him being roped into this kidnap allegation. This is just a gang up by some enemies to frame him up in order to reduce his integrity and drag his reputation to the mud before the people.
“The enemies just want to use this means to see if they can remove him from the face of the land issues we had.
“Ezinano has had land issues with Enugwu-Agidi and other towns, so, they are ganging up to see if it can be possible to use this means to push him out so they will come and take what does not belong to them. We are here to let the world and Anambra government to know about this.”