“Your social media noise put us in this mess” – Kidnapped businessman’s daughter accuses brother Jowizaza over ₦1.5bn ransom

The daughter of abducted Nigerian businessman Chief Joseph Ezeokafor, chairman of Jezco Group, Blessing Ezeokafor, has accused her younger brother, Jowizaza, of contributing to their father’s predicament.

In a series of posts shared on Facebook, Blessing claimed that her brother’s flamboyant lifestyle made kidnappers believe the family had access to huge amounts of money, allegedly leading to an increase in the ransom demand from ₦700 million to ₦1.5 billion.

According to her, their family is not as wealthy as her brother had portrayed them online, alleging that they were already heavily indebted.

“Why Jowizaza, my brother? You are the cause of this madness. Social media noise, when we don’t have that money. You use audio money to make hoodlums think the money is available.

“Imagine ₦1 billion? If anything happens to my dad, I will hold you responsible. Making noise when we are owing banks ₦40 billion. And these people think the money is there. See what your madness exposing has done to us,” she wrote.

Blessing further alleged that Jowizaza had previously run their father’s company aground before he was removed as a director and placed on a monthly salary of ₦1 million.

She questioned how he could have agreed to pay ₦700 million when, according to her, they did not even have ₦100 million in liquid cash.

“Kidnappers, they don’t have money. It is audio money. Please leave my dad alone. Please release him, they are swimming in debt. At this point, I need to talk so they can be talking reasonable of what we can provide. Dad needs his medication and I don’t want anything to happen to my dad,” she added.

The distraught daughter’s posts have drawn attention online as she continues to appeal for her father’s safe release.