Kidnapped Anambra Man Freed After ₦16m Ransom Paid — Brother Dies in Tragic Twist

By Our Correspondent

It was a cocktail of joy and grief for the Okafor family of Awa in Orumba South, Anambra State, as their father, Hon. Ernest Okafor, regained freedom from kidnappers after a whopping ₦16 million ransom was paid — only for his brother to die shortly after.

Hon. Okafor, a former House of Representatives aspirant, was seized on August 16, 2025, right in front of his residence on his return from a political event.

His abduction sent shockwaves across the state and once again underlined the rising wave of violent crime in Anambra.

Family insiders disclosed that his release came at a heavy price.

“The kidnappers demanded millions, and the family had no choice but to pay. Sixteen million naira was eventually delivered before he was set free,” one source told our reporter.

But the celebration of his safe return was overshadowed by tragedy: his elder brother, Chief Okwuchukwu Okafor, popularly known as Ejiamatu, did not survive the tension and trauma of the ordeal.

Chief Okafor, until his death, was the Chairman of Market 3, Eke Awka, and leader of the Eke Awka Task Force. News of his passing has plunged the Awka business community into mourning, with traders describing him as “a fearless defender of the market” and “a man of the people.”

Now, while Hon. Okafor nurses the scars of captivity, his family and community are left grappling with the heartbreaking cost of insecurity — ransom paid in millions, and a life lost in the shadows.