Okonjo-Iweala links $2.4bn fraud probe to mother's kidnapping

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation and former finance minister, recounted how her efforts to investigate an alleged $2.4 billion fuel subsidy fraud in Nigeria resulted in threats against her and the kidnapping of her mother. The investigation was initiated after a sharp increase in claims from fuel importers under Nigeria's subsidy program raised suspicions.

Okonjo-Iweala approached the president for an audit, which confirmed the fraud, leading to a refusal to pay the fraudulent claims. Following this decision, her mother was abducted, with the kidnappers demanding her resignation and departure from the country for her release.

Okonjo-Iweala described the five-day ordeal as one of the most painful experiences of her life, fearing for her mother's safety. Her mother, who was held in a forest, ultimately escaped.

Okonjo-Iweala expressed that she would have prioritized her mother's life over her job but was encouraged by her father not to yield to the kidnappers' demands.