Ogwashi-Uku , a small town located west of the Asaba, the capital of Delta State, should be in a joyous mood. Its annual Ogwashi-Uku Cultural Carnival comes up next week. Several points in the town have been decorated in preparation for the carnival. But, the kidnap of the town’s queen and mother of Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Prof. Kanene Okonjo, has tainted the mood of the community.
The town, which hosts headquarters of Aniocha South local government council, was provincial headquarter of Asaba division in 1910 under British colonial rule. Its tranquil, laid back mien was shattered with the kidnap of its queen.
A detachment of special detectives yesterday arrived from the Police Headquarters, Abuja to hunt for the abductors of the queen. Mrs. Okonjo is spending her fifth day in the hands of her captors.
Delta State Police Commissioner Ikechukwu Aduba said the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, deployed the team to complement his command. Aduba said the hoodlums would soon be smoked-out of their hide-out.
He said: “The IG is concerned and worried about what is happening and he has sent the special squad from Abuja to assist us. We have special squad across the federation but the person involved is of global significance and the IG wants to get the results as fast as possible, that is all. Police has never and will never encourage the payment of ransom.”
Two policemen have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping of the finance minister’s 82-year-old mother, the police said.
Aduba said the policemen had been arrested on suspicion of having aided the kidnappers.
“It is a very sad development and our major concern now is to rescue Mama unhurt. I’m not aware the kidnappers are demanding ransom and, even if they are, the police cannot get involved as that would be a signal for others to continue (abductions),” Aduba said.
The finance minister, a campaigner against corruption, has received threats in the past, according to her special adviser Paul Nwabuikwu.
Residents of the town are traumatised by this occurrence and the matter is still being discussed in street corners in hushed tones.
A resident, Prince Godwin Elue, appealed to the kidnappers to release the queen due to her old age.
He said: “The abduction is not fair. She is too old for such an experience .Security needs to be beefed up around the palace to forestall future occurrence.”
The Traditional Council in Ogwashi-Uku in Delta yesterday met over Sunday’s abduction of Prof. Kamene Okonjo, wife of the traditional ruler of the community, Obi Chukwuka Okonjo.
Led by the Iyase of the town, Chief Collins Afuwa, the council met yesterday at the palace of the monarch.
The closed-door meeting, which began at about 11 a.m. had Mr Onyema Okonjo, one of the children of the abducted woman, in attendance.
While the meeting was on, heavily armed Nigeria Customs Service officials and soldiers, who were drafted to the palace soon after the abduction, were on guard around the premises.
A source at the palace said the meeting was the first by the palace chiefs after the incident, adding, however, that some of the chiefs had visited the palace, individually, after the kidnap.
It was not possible to speak with Onyema Okonjo, the only member of the family who has been around since Monday, as he declined comments, saying “Sorry, I don’t want to talk”.
A source, however, told NAN that “You know the king himself is not around, otherwise the chiefs would have been with him every day, consulting and having series of meeting.’’
“In spite of that, they still needed to meet over the matter and that is why they are meeting now but nobody will discuss the outcome of the meeting,’’ the source said.
It was uncertain when the traditional ruler, who travelled on Saturday, would return as an earlier indication by his son, Onyema, that he might return on Monday, failed.
However, the palace neighbourhood and the entire Ogwashi-Uku community had remained calm since the incident, with no molestation of any one my security agents.
The ever-busy Onitsha-Ubulu-Uku road that bisects the town was a beehive of activities when this reporter visited yesterday, with commuters boarding vehicles to neighbouring communities. Shops were open for transactions.
The town has had its fair share of crises. A tussle for kingship has left the town largely divided. The royal rumble was resolved by the courts in 2007 in favour of the Okonjo family, but siblings of the current monarch Prof. Chukwuka Okonjo, Obi of Ogwashi-Uku are up in arms and have returned to the courts challenging his ascension to the throne.
