Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has opened up about the Okonjo-Iweala recounts threats and mother’s kidnap over $2.4bn subsidy probe ordeal.
She shared details of the traumatic experience during an interview on Bloomberg’s Leaders program with Francine Lacqua.
She revealed that her mother was abducted after the government exposed a $2.4 billion fuel subsidy fraud in Nigeria.
The abductors demanded her immediate resignation as Finance Minister in exchange for her mother’s release.
Furthermore, Okonjo-Iweala described the five-day kidnapping as the most painful ordeal of her life.
Audit Uncovers $2.4 Billion Fraudulent Subsidy Claims
The crisis began when financial records showed a suspicious surge in subsidy claims by fuel importers.
Although Nigeria produced crude oil, the country relied heavily on imported refined petroleum products.
Under the subsidy program, government payments enabled importers to sell petrol at regulated prices.
“I went to the president and asked to audit the accounts,” Okonjo-Iweala recalled during the interview.
“We found about $2.4 billion worth of fraud, so we refused to pay,” she stated.
Consequently, aggressive threats began directed at her office before gunmen abducted her mother from Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State.
Five-Day Ordeal and Escape From Abductors
The abductors held her mother, Professor Kamene Okonjo, in a remote forest for five painful days.
“I was told that for her to be released, I should resign and leave the country,” Okonjo-Iweala stated.
She admitted feeling paralyzed by fear and guilt, considering resignation to save her mother’s life.
However, her father urged her to remain steadfast and refuse to yield to criminal blackmail.
Ultimately, her mother managed to escape from the forest hideout during the night.
“She is still alive and is 96 now,” Okonjo-Iweala revealed, adding that every penny counts in national governance.
