Okonjo-Iweala mum’s suspected kidnapper arraigned, remanded

BY AUSTIN OGWUDA
ASABA – A member of the 10-man kidnap gang that allegedly abducted the 82-year-old Prof. Kamene Okonjo, mother of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who claimed to be in charge of feeding the woman with bread and groundnuts while in captivity, was,Monday, arraigned on a four-count charge.

The accused, Andrew Dime,  32, hails from Enikorogha in Edo State.

This is the second suspect to be arraigned in connection with the kidnap of Okonjo-Iweala’s mother as one  William Omenma, 30, had earlier been arraigned.

Some suspected robbers and their weapons as paraded by the Rivers State Police in Port Harcourt. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke.

No plea was taken when arraigned before an Asaba Chief Magistrate Court. Trial magistrate, Mr. Sylvester Ehikwe, ordered the remand of the accused at Ogwashi-Uku prisons and adjourned the case till February 28, 2013.

The charge read: “That you Andrew Dime, male and others now at large, on December 9, 2012, at Asaba in the Asaba Magisterial District did unlawfully imprison one Professor Kamene Okonjo, female, in such a manner as to prevent any person entitled to have access to her from discovering the place where she was unlawfully imprisoned, thereby committed an offence punishable under section 364(2) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C21, Vol1, Laws of Delta State of Nigeria, 2006

“That you Dime, male, and others now at large, on December 22, 2012 did unlawfully imprison one Solomon Onyesom, male, in such a manner as to prevent any person entitled to have access to him from discovering the place where he was unlawfully imprisoned and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 364(2) of the criminal code law cap C21, Vol1, laws of Delta State of Nigeria, 2006.”