Activist warns about troubling rise in missing people in Anambra

On Tuesday, February 4, 2025, human rights activist Comrade Osita Obi raised concerns over the growing number of missing people in Anambra State. Speaking at a press conference in Awka, Obi said it’s becoming all too common for people to disappear mysteriously without a trace, and life seems to continue without much attention to the problem.
Obi mentioned that besides those who have been kidnapped and never found, three high-profile individuals in Anambra have gone missing without any answers. These people include businessman Mr. Benjamin Ezemma, House of Assembly member Hon. Justice Azuka, and Mr. Obiora Agbasimalo, who ran for governor in the 2021 election. None of them have been seen since their disappearances.
Obi spoke particularly about Mr. Benjamin Ezemma, also known as Big Ben, who disappeared on November 12, 2024. “I am more concerned about the sudden disappearance of Mr. Benjamin Ezemma, who is also the Vice Chairman of Dubai Estate,” Obi said. “He disappeared on November 12 and has not been seen since then.”
He continued, “We are here to encourage the government to find Ben Ezemma. It is Ben today, it may be any one of us tomorrow. We know that the government has the capacity to find this man. What is the federal government doing about this?”
Obi also called for the use of available technology to help track down missing people. “We all did SIM registration, NIN registration, and others. What is the use of such data that we left with the federal government? Can’t they use it to find missing people like Ben?”
The activist urged the police, Department of State Services (DSS), National Security Agency (NSA), and other security agencies to take action. “We are expecting that the authorities would have swung into action without waiting for people like us to report the incident to them,” he said. “Let these security agencies use the facilities available to them to track down his kidnappers.”
Obi mentioned that some individuals connected to Ezemma’s disappearance have already been brought to court, and he asked journalists to keep the story in the public eye. “We are urging you to report it to the world so that it will not be swept under the carpet.”
While Obi praised the DSS in Anambra for its commitment to finding the missing people, he expressed disappointment in the local police. “I’m not happy with the police performance in this matter,” he said. “Anambra should not be a dumping ground for police officers who are due for retirement, who just come here to make money. If this continues, we may have no option but to protest it.”
The activist’s comments highlight the growing frustration over the handling of missing persons cases in the state.