Special Feature
How Nigeria’s King Of Money “Ezego” Died Tragically In A Road Accident
His name is Chief Victor Nnamdi Okafor. He was, however, better known as Ezego or “Eze Ego” (King of Money).
Ezego was a native of Uzoakwa, Ihiala, in Anambra State.
The controversial Lagos businessman was born on Christmas Day of 1964. He was known for his flamboyance, showmanship, and generosity.
Ezego was a secondary school drop who moved to Lagos in 1989 to start a business.
Ezego’s source of wealth was unclear, as he accumulated his fortune after only a brief time in Lagos.
He owned multiple businesses, buildings, and a large collection of high-end automobiles, and he always traveled in a convoy.
Ezego built a number of large shopping malls. He has one at Allen Avenue, Ikeja. On the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road, there was another. In Abuja, Ezego also had another massive shopping complex.
In these shopping complexes, he ran and controlled one of Nigeria’s largest electronics stores.
Within a short period after his arrival in Lagos, the word Ezego was on everyone’s lips in Lagos’ social and economic circles.
His house back at Ihiala was built with the marbles imported from Italy. The mansion is said to be worth N500m. His whole real estate outside of Ihiala was valued at almost half a billion naira in 1999 – a mindboggling amount at the time.
Ezego was married to Laurita Nkechi, a princess from Akata in Imo State and the union was blessed with eight children.
Sadly, Ezego was tragically killed in an automobile accident in December of 1999.
Ezego’s Appetite to Expensive Automobiles
Ezego had one of Africa’s largest collections of exotic vehicles during his lifetime.
He spent a fortune on these high-end automobiles. His garages in Lagos and Ihiala were stocked with top-of-the-line vehicles. His garage is said to be worth around one billion naira by some.
Ezego once spent N14 million on two high-end vehicles: a Lincoln Continental Mark 8 sedan and a Mercedes-Benz R230 convertible. At the time, N14 million was a huge sum for two cars. He bought the cars from popular Lagos car dealership, Tayo Ayeni’s Moontrends Motors.
The Death of Ezego Resulting From A Car Accident
Ezego’s life was riddled with scandals and mysteries. His death, too, had a strange twist to it.
Ezego has a history of spending Christmas in Ihiala, his hometown. Whenever he visits his hometown, he usually it is usually like a carnival. He takes advantage of the opportunity to show his people what generosity looks like.
The multi-millionaire businessman was said to have visited the Femi Kuti’s Afrikan Shrine before his disastrous trip to his hometown in 1999. He was there to finalize arrangements the afro-beat sensation, to perform at Ihiala during the Christmas season.
Ordinarily, when he travels to Ihiala, he takes the airplane. He takes an aircraft from Lagos to Enugu and then travels to his hometown in a convoy. This time, he chose to drive from Lagos to Ihiala.
Fatefully, on the 25th of December, Ezego set out from Lagos to Ihiala in an elaborate convoy of high-end cars.
A Lincoln Navigator (1999 model), limousine, Lexus SUV, blue Porsche, Cherokee SUV, and a new Honda were among the vehicles in the procession.
On his way to Ihiala, somewhere around Asaba in Delta State, the Cherokee developed a fault and then broke down
Rather than leaving it there for repairs, Ezego chose to tow the SUV home by himself using a Lexus in the convoy.
Ezego rarely drove; instead, he had a personal chauffeur with whom he traveled, but it was said that on the day Ezego told the chauffeur not to drive and that he intended to drive himself.
On getting to the spot between Ozubulu and Okija on the Onitsha/Owerri Road, just about two kilometres away from. his home town, tragedy struck.
Ezego encountered a pothole and he instantly jammed on the brakes. The Cherokee being towed crashed with the Lexus he was driving as a result. He was severely hurt on his head after the Lexus crashed into a ditch.
His convoy’s crew made valiant efforts to save him. They transported him to the Lady of Lourdes Hospital, where he had at a time donated N15 million to. Unfortunately, he had suffered significant internal bleeding, which the hospital was unable to treat. It was advised that he should be taken to a more capable hospital in Port Harcourt.
Sadly, the Eze Ego I of Ihiala died on the way to Port Harcourt.
Chief Victor Nnamdi Okafor, a.k.a Udu Bunch a.k.a The Young Millionaire died at the age of 34.
The mansion he built in his home town at Uzoakwa Ihiala is said to be currently a shell of its former glory.
All of his cars deteriorated because no one wanted to drive or buy them, and his mansions were abandoned since no one wanted to live in or buy them because the many felt he made his money through occultic means. In addition, all of his businesses failed under unusual circumstances.
His wife, Laurita Nkechi, reportedly later married the family lawyer.
Ezego’s massive country home in Uzoakwa Ihiala, Anambra State
In Ezegos’ abandoned country home in Ihiala, the remains of one of his exotic automobiles, a Lamborghini Diablo, can still be found.
Ezego’s residence at Ajao Estate, Lagos. This glass house is where he lived till he died.