Armed Security Details to CBN Gov’s Wife had Secret Plot with Kidnappers-INVESTIGATION
…Released Movements, Itinerary to Abductors to share N100million
*Why her Security Aides Scampered into the Bush along Benin-Agbor Road
*’Nigeria Police Highly Embarrassed’-Inspector General of Police
*How Combined Efforts of Police, Army, State Security Agency Saved Margaret Emiefele
* ‘God Delivered Her from Kidnappers’ Den’-Family Member of Emefieles
* “Gratitude to God, President Buhari, Security Agencies for Saving My Wife’-CBN Gov
* ‘Nigerian Govt Should Investigate, Prosecute Security Personnel Attached to CBN Gov’s Wife for Complicity’-Steve Franklin, President, Nigerian-American Press Association
BY IFEOMA SAMUEL/CRIME EDITOR, SOUTH-EAST & IREWOLE ADIJAT, CRIME REPORTER, ABUJA
MARGARET Emiefele, wife to Nigeria’s Central Bank of Governor, Godwin Emiefele escaped torture, dehumanization and attack by whiskers inside thick forest along Benin-Agbor road in Delta where she was held for ransom. Providence and God’s infinite mercies saved her eventually.
It was discovered that weeks before the unfortunate abduction incidence, Margaret, an-open minded person had actually had meeting with her armed security aides (police women) assuring them of her plans to proactively engage in projects that will empower women folks, girl-child and help humanity.
Thereafter, her security aides had requested that she make available her itinerary and plans to successfully accomplish the tasks, so that they may be able to plan their schedule in same way. She innocently gave out her daily, weekly routes and movements.
Undercover investigation showed that two of her security aides had after the close of work same week prior to the journey in Delta State had clandestine and nefarious meeting over the phone with a Kidnap syndicate where all the itinerary of Margaret Emiefele were released to the abductors having come under a conclusion that they (the kidnappers) should behave as if they don’t know them-they may be shot in the process but their lives must be spared. And they agreed that Margaret should be kidnapped, made to believe everything is genuine, since she is seen as ‘milking cow that lays the golden egg’, by extension of her husband position.
As agreed by CBN Gov’s wife security aides with the abductors, at exactly Benin-Agbor Road in Delta State, Margaret vehicle was sandwiched by fiercely-looking, -gun wielding kidnappers who initially chased away her security aides into the bush, shot two of them in the process and abducted her official driver along. Visibly-shaken Margaret pleads with her kidnappers to spare her life. They (Margaret and her security aides plus driver) were whisked into thick forest along Benin-Agbor road. Margaret’s phone, and the phone of those with her were seized.
The abductors had told Margaret that by paying the sum of N100million through her rich CBN Gov’s husband, she would be sure to leave the thick forest alive. After so much plead by Margaret, she was allowed to use he phone to call her husband of their N100million ransom. Immediately, troubled Emefiele reached out to President Muhammadu Buhari who gave a marching order to Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Ibrahim Idris, Nigerian Army and Department of State Security Service (DSS) to take every lawful steps in 24 hours to bring back Margaret alive.
Not to take any chances, IGP , highly embarrassed and embittered by the scenario summoned the IG Special Intelligence Monitoring Team, headed by Abba Kyari, to commence immediate investigation into the incident since Kyari was the officer who earlier arrested the suspects responsible for the abduction of Professor Kamene Okonjo, the mother of ex-Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in 2012. In a bid to track the abductors of Margaret, IGP deployed helicopters along the Benin-Agbor Road, where the incident had taken place. Idris flooded the area with hundreds of police operatives and sniffer dogs in a move to put pressure on the kidnappers.
A senior police officer said, “We received information on Thursday that the CBN governor’s wife was abducted alongside three women and a male driver. They were on their way to Agbor, Delta State, where she hails from. We have deployed policemen, helicopters and sniffer dogs and we will arrest the suspects very soon.”
Gunmen had on Thursday abducted Margaret along with four others and demanded N100m as ransom. The kidnappers were said to have made the demand after taking their victims to an unknown location. This was corroborated by a senior police officer that Margaret was abducted alongside three women and a male driver.
Our correspondent gathered that there was a serious argument between the kidnappers that N100million was too small, they eventually agreed that N1.5billion or nothing. They severally threatened Margaret, which made her to call her husband again claiming they (the kidnappers) are insisting that it is either he made available the sum of N1.5billion as ransom or he forget seen her alive.
Embattled CBN Governor had immediately after that repeatedly called top hierarchy of Nigeria’s security agencies to ensure that his wife his rescued alive. With news on the kidnap of Margaret constantly in the air, hot combing of Benin-Agbor forest by police helicopters and hundreds of sniffer dogs pursuit in the thick forest, the kidnappers had abandoned Margaret in the thick of the forest, left the two shot police women unattended, beat the driver, the last woman in their captivity, and took off to evade arrest. CBN Governor also informed informed his immediate family members to pray to God for divine intervention.
At last, gallantry of the Armed Forces, Police and Security Forces in Ugoneki near Benin City rescued Margaret as she is currently recuperating in Government House, Asaba after an ordeal of kidnap some 24 hours ago.
NAIJA STANDARD Newspaper and other mainstream media had delayed the story, Friday due to an appeal from the Emefiele family given the sensitivity of the negotiations for her release from the kidnappers yesterday.
‘God Delivered Her from Kidnappers’ Den’-Family Member of Emefieles
A family member of the Emefieles in Lagos State (who pleaded not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter) said the moment all the family members were told of what happened to ‘ Big Mummy’, as wife of CBN Governor is called, they all embarked on marathon prayer for safety. His words: “When we begin to receive distress phone calls from CBN Governor on what happened to Big Mummy, we all began to pray. Truly, God answered prayers as we are all happy, Big Mummy was unhurt and God kept her alive.”
CBN Expresses Appreciation
Meanwhile, Emefiele expressed gratitude to God, President Muhammadu Buhari and security agencies for the rescue of his wife from the hands of kidnappers. He thanked God Almighty for the life of his dear wife and praised security agencies for their gallantry in bringing his wife back home “within 24 hours in compliance with the directive of President Buhari.”
The CBN Governor also expressed his gratitude to the Delta and Edo State governments, friends and well wishers “who, through their actions, prayers and goodwill, helped to bring this harrowing experience to a joyful end.”
There are reports that two among the police officers attached to her were shot and are presently in the hospital receiving treatment. The abductors were said to have later made contact with her husband and demanded a huge sum as ransom but it is not clear if any was paid.
‘Nigerian Govt Should Investigate, Prosecute Security Personnel Attached to CBN Gov’s Wife for Complicity’-Steve Franklin, President, Nigerian-American Press Association
Rising from an emergency Editorial Board Meeting, Steve Franklin, originally from Europe, an American widely traveled journalist, a historian, opinionated writer, an author, President of Nigerian American Press Association (NAPA) a famous media association of Nigerians and American journalists with over 100 memberships explained the need for Nigerian government to investigate and prosecute security aides attached to CBN Gov’s wife for complicity. His words: “Going by the narrative of Margaret’s abduction and other undercover reports seen so far, we don’t believe in the innocence of her securoty personnel even though they tried to absolve themselves of any blame. There is need for Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari to give an order that the three armed women police attached to Margaret, including her driver be fully investigated and prosecuted when found to have acted in any way that may have put the life of CBN Governor’s wife in danger under any guise. Based on our information, NAPA believe strongly in her security aides’ collusion, involvement, collaboration, connivance to fleece the CBN Governor’s wife. They need to be prosecuted after investigation so they may name their abduction syndicates in Delta State as a deterrence to others that crime does not pay.”
