·
Suspects arrested with N15m marked money
· ‘Family paid N40m ransom’
Operatives
of the State Security Service, SSS, have arrested six of the abductors of Prof.
Keneme Okonjo, mother of the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister
of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala. Okonjo, wife of the Obi of Ogwuashi-Ukwu,
Prof. Chukwuka Okonjo, was kidnapped on December 9, 2012 at the palace of the
traatditional ruler. However,
through concerted efforts of the combined security agencies in the country, the
victim was released on December 14. But in a bid to unravel those behind the
kidnapping, arrests were made by the police, Army and men of the SSS.
Last
week, 63 of the suspects earlier arrested by the Army were released
unconditionally when their culpability could not be established. A competent
source at the SSS told National Mirror yesterday that six of the real suspects
had eventually been arrested in Asaba, Delta State, and might be flown to Abuja
today.
The
source also confirmed that a N40m ransom was actually paid for the release of
the 82-year- old retired professor of Sociology.
Explaining
how the suspects were arrested, the source said: “The N40m, which was paid to
the kidnappers was marked money from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. “What
happened was that the money was paid on Wednesday by our men and by Thursday,
two persons had gone to the Nebisi Road branch of an old generation bank to
deposit N15m out of the money.
Because
it was marked money, they were promptly arrested. “Our men were able to track
four of the kidnappers with the aid of the two persons. Right now, we are on
the trail of the remaining four suspects.
“The
six suspects are supposed to be brought to Abuja tomorrow (today) to face
further interrogation.”
Asked
why the operatives were not able to arrest the suspects the time they came for
the money, the source explained: “Don’t forget that as at that time the woman
was still with the kidnappers and they could decide to kill her if they suspect
anything phony. “Our major concern then was to ensure that the woman regained
her freedom and was not harmed in any way.
In
fact, that was the point the minister kept hammering to us. “She said that we
should do everything possible to secure her mother alive, even if it meant
paying whatever ransom the kidnappers asked for. “If you know how this is done,
once they came for the money, we knew that the game was up for them. We knew
that we must get them unless they would not spend that money in Nigeria.”
Okonjo-Iweala
had shortly after her mother release said that the abductors were unhappy with
the administration of the fuel subsidy and SURE-P programmes.
Okonjo-Iweala,
who had recounted what her mother told the family after her ‘miraculous’ escape
from the den of the dare-devil abductors, said: “I can’t give all the details
because we don’t want to compromise ongoing investigations. “But I can tell you
one thing: My mother suffered a great deal during this ordeal.
It
was only the Almighty God that rescued her from a situation that could very
easily have ended tragically. “Apart from the emotional trauma of being
violently taken away from her family and kept incommunicado for five days in a
strange environment, a woman of 83 years was left without food for five days.
“We give glory to God that she is alive today to tell the tale. While she was
in their custody, the kidnappers spent much of the time harassing her.
They
told her that I must get on the radio and television and announce my
resignation. “When she asked why, they told her it was because I did not pay
oil subsidy money. They also said I had blocked payment of money to certain
components of the SURE-P programme.”
Source: National Mirror
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