Former acting managing director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joi Nunieh, who was earlier reported to have been trapped in her new home in the Old GRA section of Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, by a large team of Mobile Police from Squadron 13 in Port Harcourt, has been rescued.
She was rescued by Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who has taken her to the Government House in Port Harcourt.
BusinessDay had earlier reported that armed operatives of the Nigerian Police Force in the early hours of Thursday took over the Port Harcourt residence of the former NDDC boss.
Nunieh was scheduled to appear before the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC Thursday morning to give her testimony on the allegations of misappropriation of funds in the Commission.
However, in a telephone conversation with journalists early on Thursday, Nunieh said while she was trying to prepare to catch the first flight to Abuja, she heard strange noise at about 4:30am and it turned out to be armed policemen who asked her to follow them and she refused.
“This morning I started hearing people marching at about 4:30. I was trying to get ready to catch the first flight to Abuja so that I can come and give my testimony,” Nunieh told journalists.
“I sent my girl there and they said I should follow them. I said, this morning? What if they go and shoot me at 5 O’clock? I am not following anybody,” the former NDDC boss said.
The immediate past NDDC chief has been in verbal battle with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, making stunning revelations about financial malfeasance and contracts scam in the Commission.
Sources link the unfolding drama to the warning, 24 hours earlier, by Gov Wike that nothing should happen to Nunieh.
Sources say for this to be happening to her despite the warning is a huge indication that the governor spoke from intelligence tips.
Nunieh’s aide said her telephone number stopped going through about 11am.
It was gathered that Nunieh also called in to a television station and the House Committee to report her latest ordeal, saying that armed policemen numbering about 15 had been at her house in Port Harcourt since 4am.
“This is definitely the handiwork of those who don’t want me to tell the truth about what is going on at the NDDC. My governor, Wike, says they have tried to pressure him to retract the statement from the state government, warning that I should not be harmed but he has refused,” Nunieh said.
“The minister (Akpabio) thinks he can intimidate me with police but I will not be intimidated. He is afraid that I have exposed the fact that there is no forensic audit going on at the NDDC.
“Yesterday, the BPP appeared before the Committee and said they were deceived into issuing a certificate of ‘no objection’ by Akpabio who told them that the 2020 budget had been passed. No matter how long they take I will give my testimony,” she said.
BusinessDay gathered that if Nunieh would still proceed to Abuja, the government would have to arrange security for the movement.
