The wife of the missing co-founder of Dubai Estate, Awka, Anambra state, Mr. Benjamin Ezenma (popularly known as Big Ben), Mrs. Tochukwu Benedicta Ezenma, testified before Justice Ike Ogu of the state High Court sitting in Awka on Tuesday.
Mrs. Ezenma, who was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mrs. P. N. Ofomah, an assistant director in Anambra State Ministry of Justice, revealed that her husband’s business partner, Mr. Chukwudi Ezenwa, informed her about her husband’s disappearance.
Mrs. Ezenma stated that her last conversation with her husband was via video call on November 12, 2024, at 5:33 p.m.
She said her husband told her he was attending a meeting with someone named “Mr. Loco” in Awka. Since then, her husband has been missing.
The family resides at City Escape Estate, Guzape, Abuja, but Mr. Ezenma conducted his real estate business in Awka, Anambra state, in partnership with Mr. Chukwudi Ezenwa.
After the video call, Mrs. Ezenma said she didn’t bother calling her husband again, knowing that his meetings often lasted late into the night.
She said she planned to call him the following day, November 13, 2024.
However, Mr. Ezenwa called her at 10 am on November 13, asking if she had spoken with her husband.
When she replied no, she tried calling her husband but discovered his phone was switched off, which worried her.
She said she and her family members reported her husband’s disappearance to the Department of State Services (DSS) later that day.
Under cross-examination by Mr. Alex Ejesieme, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and counsel to the 1st defendant (Ozo Jeff Nweke), Mrs. Ezenma stated that she only knew Ozo Nweke, whom her husband had mentioned as representative of Awka people in a land sales, but not the other two defendants, Tochukwu Nwokoye Nwosu and David Chukwuemeka Chukwunonso.
She also mentioned that her husband had a two-year business disagreement with Mr. Ezenwa over the formula for sharing their estate business proceeds. Still, they had resolved the issue long ago.
Additionally, she said her husband had land disputes with the people of Awka and Enugwu-Agidi communities.
The case was adjourned to April 30 and May 2, 2025, for further hearing.
