World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has revealed how her efforts to expose an alleged $2.4 billion fuel subsidy fraud in Nigeria triggered threats against her and the kidnapping of her mother in 2012.
Okonjo-Iweala said the kidnappers demanded that she resign as finance minister and leave Nigeria in exchange for her mother’s release.
She recounted the ordeal during an interview with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua on the Leaders programme.
According to the former Nigerian finance minister, suspicions arose after officials noticed a sharp increase in claims submitted by fuel importers under the country’s subsidy programme.
She said she sought approval from then-President Goodluck Jonathan to audit the accounts, leading to the discovery of approximately $2.4 billion in alleged fraud. The government subsequently refused to make the disputed payments.
“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.
Okonjo-Iweala said threats followed the decision, culminating in the abduction of her mother, Kamene Okonjo, from her home in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, in December 2012.
She described the five-day ordeal as one of the most painful experiences of her life, explaining that she feared her mother might be killed because of her refusal to yield to the demands.
“It was a terrible, terrible five-day ordeal. I think it’s the worst in my life,” she said.
Her mother was reportedly held in a forest before escaping one night. Now 96, Kamene still becomes distressed when the incident is discussed, according to Okonjo-Iweala.
The WTO chief admitted that she initially considered resigning to secure her mother’s freedom, stressing that she would always prioritise her mother’s life over any public 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 encouraged her not to give in to blackmail and urged her to continue her work.
“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 the experience left her with lingering feelings of guilt and changed how she approached difficult situations. She added that the incident strengthened her determination to fight corruption, particularly in countries where public resources are limited.
“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 assuming office as WTO director-general in March 2021. Her mother’s kidnapping attracted widespread public attention and raised concerns about the safety of the finance minister and her family.
