History still recalls the tale of Victor Okafor “Ezego,” the man who handles money like a pro. A man who’s financial account gave everyone the willies.
The contentious businessman from Lagos was born on December 25, 1964. He was said to lead a flamboyant, ostentatious, and charitable lifestyle.
Despite not finishing high school, he made the decision to relocate to Lagos in order to further his business.
People in Lagos’ social and commercial circles were talking about Ezego in quick order.
He constructed the Ezego Shopping Complex on Allen Avenue in Lagos, with a branch located in Abuja. Afterwards, he established the Ezego Plaza on the road leading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
He oversaw and operated one of Nigeria’s largest electronics retailers from these locations. Victor Okafor actually owned numerous businesses. Among them were Vitex Zinc Co. Limited, Ezego Properties Limited, Ezego Nigeria Limited, Ezego Holdings Limited, and Vic-Winners International Limited.
Across the nation, Ezego was able to construct a number of homes, villas, and mansions. A glass mansion stood among them.
Not only that, but Ezego boasted one of Africa’s biggest private vehicle garages. He had a deep passion for vehicles. As a result, he constantly bought the newest cars and kept them in his garages in Lagos and Ihiala.
His garage alone was worth nearly ₦1 billion, in fact.
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He previously spent ₦14 million on just two luxurious vehicles from Moontrends: a Mercedes Benz R230 convertible and a Lincoln Continental Mark 8 sedan. By the time of his death, he possessed more than 70 properties in Nigeria and abroad, a plethora of modern cars, and a bank account valued at over ₦10 billion.
Many people held the belief that he amassed his money via evil means, particularly following his passing and the actions that surrounded it.
It was Ezego’s custom to storm his hometown of Ihiala every Christmas for the double celebration (really, it was a triple celebration: his birthday, Christmas, and the New Year) on December 25, which was also his birthday.
His yearly return meant a lot of sweets for all, and his kinsmen and women in Ihiala looked forward to it with great anticipation. Thus, that terrible December of 1999 came to pass.
Plans for the return trip home were well underway, and Ezego and his family were in excellent spirits.
Ezego had a propensity of ambushing his people with tales of his fabled wealth and opulence, as he stormed the tranquil, rustic homeland of Ihiala. The 1999 edition was the same as a result. Nigeria as a whole would be aware that Ezego had arrived.
As scheduled, Ezego departed Lagos on December 23 and traveled to the southeast of Nigeria. Leading a convoy of six of his best cars, he took off in a most spectacular manner. Among them were a blue Porsche, a 1999 Lincoln Navigator, a limousine, a Lexus Jeep, a Cherokee Jeep, and the newest Honda.
A fascinating aspect of that tragic journey was that Ezego would typically take a plane to Enugu or Port Harcourt, from where he would be transported to Ihiala via convoy.
But he was said to have changed his mind because of the high number of tragic air crashes during that time. The mogul had a terrible fate as a result.
Ezego made the decision, for reasons that are unclear, to drive his Lexus jeep in the convoy from Lagos to Ihiala.
Two kilometers from Ihiala, Ezego got engaged in an accident while driving. Thoughts were made to save him, but they were unsuccessful.
Ezego passed away on December 26, 1999. He was only thirty-four.
The news of Ezego’s connection to the Okija shrine was one of the stories that caused controversy at the time of his death. Everyone began to shun his properties as a result, like the plague.
It seemed sense that friends and family would be happy to take over his properties, but this wasn’t the case.
The late billionaire’s ₦500 million mansion is rumored to have been abandoned, with the aesthetics stripped away and replaced with weeds and grass.
According to information obtained by Daily Times, the billionaire’s estate has not been touched since his passing. It is home to numerous golden chairs and tables, pricey carpets and fabrics, electrical appliances, electronics, abandoned cars, and other items valued at millions of naira.
Even without security personnel, no thief appears interested in targeting the building or the facilities it housing, despite the high prevalence of robberies in the neighborhood where the estate is located. All out of fear of suffering the same fate as the god who is thought to have murdered the billionaire.
There are still controversies lingering from Ezego’s life and death. Barely three years after Ezego’s death, on September 2, 2002, Barnabas Igwe, his lawyer and the man in charge of carrying out his will, was assassinated in cold blood together with his wife, Abigail.
As a result, Ezego’s will was never read, and as of January 2006, it was unknown who exactly would benefit from it.
There are rumors that after Ezego, the king of money, passed away many years ago, his wife and kids, as well as other immediate family members, have not visited the estate again.
