Nigeria Police arrest kidnappers of CBN governor's wife

– The Nigerian Police seem to have stepped up its intelligence gathering process – Two people have been arrested in connection to the kidnapping of the wife of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Margaret Emefiele – Six people have however been declared wanted The Nigerian Police has arrested two individuals in connection to the kidnapping of the wife of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Margaret Emefiele.

Margaret Emiefiele has since been rescued from the kidnappers

The police have also begun a manhunt for four other accomplices who have been declared wanted, while the ransom money has been recovered. The Guardian gathered that the two people arrested are giving police interrogators useful information that would lead to the arrest of other suspects on the run.

According to a source, the men were caught following co-ordinated intelligence and investigation by the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in close collaboration with the Emefiele family. A source said: “The police have in their custody the money that was paid to the criminals as ransom before Mrs. Emefiele was rescued.” The kidnappers had demanded for N100 million but it was negotiated to about N2 million. They were given the money before Mrs. Emefiele, her driver and three co-travellers were rescued. Mrs Magaret Emiefiele was abducted by a group of heavily armed gunmen late Thursday, September 29, along the Benin-Agbor road. Mrs Emiefiele was however rescued on Friday, September 30 in what a family member described as “due to the gallantry of the armed forces, police and security forces”, in Ugoneki near Benin City. In a statement released to the media on Saturday, October 1, the CBN governor thanked God and President Muhammadu Buhari for the release of his wife.

He vowed to continue serving the country “without any fear of intimidation”. He also praised security agencies for their gallantry in rescuing his wife within 24 hours in compliance with the directive of the president.