Okonjo-Iweala: My mother was kidnapped over $2.4bn fuel subsidy fraud probe

World Trade Organisation Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has revealed that her investigation into an alleged $2.4bn fuel subsidy fraud in Nigeria triggered threats against her and the kidnapping of her mother in 2012.

The former finance minister said her mother’s abductors demanded that she resign from office and leave the country in exchange for her release.

Okonjo-Iweala recounted the ordeal during an interview with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua on the Leaders programme, published earlier this week.

She said suspicions arose after officials noticed a sharp increase in claims submitted by fuel importers under Nigeria’s petrol subsidy programme, which required the government to reimburse importers to keep pump prices regulated.

Despite Nigeria’s status as an oil-producing country, the country relied heavily on imported refined petroleum products to meet domestic demand at the time.

Okonjo-Iweala said the rising claims prompted her to seek approval from the then president to audit the accounts.

“So I went to the president and said, look, something is going on here. Could we audit the accounts? And he said, yes, go ahead. And we found about $2.4 billion worth of fraud. So we refused to pay,” she said.

She said the decision was followed by threats, culminating in the abduction of her mother, Kamene Okonjo, from her home in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, in December 2012.

“I was told that for her to be released, I should resign and leave the country,” she said.

Describing the five-day ordeal as one of the most painful experiences of her life, Okonjo-Iweala said she feared her mother might be killed because of her refusal to meet the abductors’ demands.

“It was a terrible, terrible five-day ordeal. I think the worst in my life,” she said.

Her mother was held in a forest before escaping one night, according to the WTO chief.

“She was held in the middle of a forest, and one night she escaped. She’s still alive. She’s 96 now,” she said, adding that her mother remains distressed when the incident is discussed.

Asked whether she considered resigning during the crisis, Okonjo-Iweala said she would have chosen her mother’s life over remaining in office.

“Between my mother, having my mother alive and staying in a job, I would pick my mother any day,” she said.

However, she recalled that her father urged her not to give in to the kidnappers’ demands.

“He said, we don’t give in to blackmail. And he said, you’ve got to carry on. You’ve got to go to work,” she recounted.

Okonjo-Iweala said she initially felt overwhelmed by fear and contemplated resigning to secure her mother’s release. She added that the experience left her with a lingering sense of guilt.

“I never dreamt my parents could ever be touched in this way, that people would be that evil,” she said.

Reflecting on the broader significance of the investigation, she said tackling corruption was essential, particularly in countries with limited resources.

“I feel that this is a real fight that has to be waged. If you are a country that is not that rich, every single penny counts,” she said.

Okonjo-Iweala served as Nigeria’s finance minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan before becoming WTO director-general in March 2021. Her mother’s kidnapping in 2012 attracted widespread attention and renewed concerns about the safety of public officials’ families.