Delta state police boss, Mr Ikechukwu Aduba confirmed to newsmen yesterday that two policemen have been arrested for the abduction of Prof. Kamene Okonjo, Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s mother.
The family made an emotional appeal to the kidnappers to free Mrs. Okonjo, saying the 82-year-old grandmother was frail in health.
Mrs Okonjo was abducted on Sunday from her home in Ogwuachi-Uku, Delta State.
The police had earlier arrested a suspect, who had just left the palace when the hoodlums stormed the place and kidnapped Mrs. Okonjo, Aduba said: “We are not aware of any ransom and we will never support the payment of ransom”.
“For those who believe in the force, we have always rescued their victims unhurt without the payment of ransom. A case in point is the son of the SSG who was rescued without ransom and several other cases.
“We cannot cover up anybody; investigations were carried out and the two police officers who were supposed to be on duty are now in detention,’’ he said.
Aduba said that there were usually insiders in every kidnapping and bank robbery, among others.
He said the police had strengthened its artillery, which led to the arrest of 20 armed kidnappers in the past few days.