How Fuel Subsidy Fraud Investigation Triggered My Mother’s Kidnap — Okonjo-Iweala

The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has revealed that her efforts to uncover an alleged $2.4 billion fuel subsidy fraud in Nigeria triggered threats against her and the abduction of her mother in 2012.

Okonjo-Iweala, who served as Nigeria’s finance minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan, disclosed this during an interview with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua on the Leaders programme.

According to her, the investigation began after officials noticed a sharp increase in claims submitted by fuel importers under Nigeria’s petroleum subsidy programme.

At the time, Nigeria depended heavily on imported refined petroleum products to meet domestic demand, while the government paid importers subsidies to enable them to sell petrol at regulated prices.

However, the growing subsidy claims raised concerns, prompting Okonjo-Iweala to seek presidential approval for an audit.

She said the investigation uncovered approximately $2.4 billion in alleged fraud, leading the government to withhold the disputed payments.

“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 recalled.

The former finance minister said she subsequently received threats before her mother, Kamene Okonjo, was kidnapped from her home in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, in December 2012.

She disclosed that the abductors demanded her resignation from office and her departure from Nigeria as conditions for her mother's release.

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

Describing the incident as one of the most traumatic experiences of her life, Okonjo-Iweala said she struggled with the fear that her efforts to tackle corruption could cost her mother her life.

She explained that her mother was held in a forest for five days before escaping during the night.

“She was held in the middle of a forest, and one night she escaped. She’s still alive. She’s 96 now,” she said.

Okonjo-Iweala added that her mother remains distressed whenever the incident is discussed.

The WTO chief admitted that she considered resigning to secure her mother's release, saying she would have prioritised her mother's life over retaining her ministerial position.

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

However, she recalled that her father encouraged her not to surrender to the kidnappers' demands, insisting that she should continue her work despite the threats.

According to her, the experience left her with a lingering sense of guilt, although it also strengthened her determination to confront corruption and find solutions to difficult challenges.

“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 became the WTO director-general in March 2021, making history as the first woman and the first African to hold the position.

Her mother's abduction in 2012 attracted widespread national attention and raised concerns about the safety of the families of public officials involved in sensitive government investigations.

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