SSS nabs Okonjo’s abductors in bank…..
· 
Suspects arrested with N15m marked money
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‘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.”
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