Frustration mounted for plaintiffs in the ongoing case over the alleged abduction of Anambra billionaire and estate developer Benjamin Ezemma—popularly known as Big Ben—after the trial judge was absent at the Awka High Court on Tuesday.
In the matter, a businessman, Ozo Jeff Nweke, the Chief Executive Officer of Mango and Lion Properties Ltd, was dragged to the Court with Charge No: AWK/6c/2025, accusing him with others of allegedly kidnapping Ezemma on November 12, 2024.
Controversy has continued to trail the kidnap of Ezemma, a co-director at the high-brow Dubai Estate, Awka, who went missing on November 12, 2024, with his whereabouts yet unknown.
Across various platforms, there have been insinuations that the suspect, Ozo Nweke, will feign illness and not appear in court just to ensure that the matter is postponed.
The source had alleged that Ezemma went missing after he visited Ozo Nweke.
“Immediately after he entered Nweke’s office building and was asked to hand over his office CCTV camera coverage, Big Ben went missing. He claimed the cameras developed faults.
“He erased all data from the memory box to hide all evidence of what happened to Ben when he came to that building on the 12th of November, 2025.
“If he is a strong man as he claims, he should come to court fit and tender any medical report,” the source said.
True to the suspicions, Ozo Nweke was missing in court today.
Meanwhile, some leaders of the Ezinano community in Awka who were at the court have described as mischief the allegation that Ozo Jeff Nweke, their illustrious son, had a hand in the estate developer’s alleged abduction.
They maintained that the allegation against Nweke was part of the grand plan of a neighbouring community; they were in dispute over land and wanted to tarnish his image.
However, the matter was postponed not because of Ozo Nweke’s absence but because of the trial judge’s absence.
Some lawyers at the Anambra State High Court over the case expressed anger over the sudden postponement of the case.
They complained that they were in the dark about the presiding judge’s inability to appear in court.
Some of the lawyers who traveled from outside the state lamented over the expenses they incurred coming to Awka for the matter, wondering why they were not informed earlier until the court clerk announced the postponement.
“They knew that the presiding judge would not be present and they allowed us to travel far distances to come here to waste our time in court.
“I’m supposed to be in another court today but see me here. This is nothing but an insult,” lamented one of the senior lawyers.
