The Rich Also Cry

                      

The 82 year old mother of Nigeria's Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Prof. Kamene Okonjo, was kidnapped on Sunday in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State.

In what seemed like a scene straight out of an action flick, eight gunmen in two Audi cars stormed the palace of the regning Obi of Ogwashi-Uku at Ogbe-Ofu quarters in Ogwashi-Uku at about 1.30pm on Sunday.

The Finance Minister's mother is the wife to the Obi, and was in the palace when the kidnappers stuck.

It's not clear what their motive is, but ransom can not be ruled out. That is of course the usual case. . . but then again. . .

It wouldn't be out of the question if this abduction is somehow connected to recent happenings in Nigeria's economic scene. We expect that the abductors would send in their demands. . . millions of naira, the resignation of the President, 27 virgins. . . whatever.

What if this abduction is an attempt to twist the Minister's arm into softpedalling on the aggressive subsidy claims from fraudulent oil marketers?

What if the Minister has gotten too close on the heels of powerful elements who don't want her to succeed in her job of cleansing the system?

What if this is just your regular, run-of-the-mill kidnappers who just want a little slice of bread?

Then again, having the guts to storm a palace commando style reeks of professionalism and implies that the people mean business.

And you can't get any more businesslike than oil money and the Nigerian economy.

As the Nigerian parlance goes: we wait and see.