Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s mother kidnapped

[DT]

Gunmen stormed the palace of a traditional ruler in Delta State yesterday and abducted Prof. Kanene Okonjo who is the mother of Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.  The 82-year-old Prof. Kanene Okonjo is the wife of the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, Prof. Chukwuka Okonjo. She was abducted at her home in Aniocha South Local Government Area.

The kidnappers numbering about 10 lurked around the palace for a while before seizing the woman, witnesses told Daily Trust yesterday.

Her husband was said to be away when the gunmen struck.

Spokesman for the Delta Police Command, DSP Charles Muka, confirmed the abduction but did not give details.

Prof. Kanene was seized at the gate of the palace at about 1.50pm and pushed into a waiting vehicle which soon after zoomed off to unknown destination, witnesses said.

"As soon as the woman came down from the main building, towards the gate, the abductors moved in from the gate to grab and push her into a waiting Golf Volkswagen car," a witness said.

"The abductors were heavily armed. They were about ten. They rounded up the men fixing the interlocking tiles and asked them to lay face down. Immediately they saw her (the Queen) coming towards the gate with her maid to serve the workers soft drinks, they bundled her into their waiting Golf car while another car was parked outside."

The witness said after the victim was pushed into the car, one of the kidnappers went upstairs to collect her handbag before joining his colleagues.

At the palace yesterday, the atmosphere was gloomy as many sympathizers including members of the community vigilante group gathered discussing the incident.

Professor Okonjo is a retired professor of sociology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested a man who allegedly left the compound few minutes before the incident took place.

The man was said to have informed the housemaid that he was in the palace to take the queen mother to somewhere in the town.



Daily Trust

[DT]