Chiemelie Ezeobi
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two siblings, Ngozi Nnabude and Uchenna Agagwaonye, for blackmailing a nun, Reverend Sister Mary Okolo, and threatening her life.
 The suspects were paraded yesterday by the state Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, at the command headquarters in Ikeja.
According to Edgal, Agagwaonye, a teacher at Handmaids International Catholic School, Aguda, Surulere, was frustrated by what she termed the high-handedness of the school’s Headteacher, Okolo.
He said Agagwaonye decided to make life miserable for the nun by engaging her sister, Nnabude, a woman knowledgeable in the use of computer and telephony.
He said, “They conspired to put the nun under constant fear and apprehension of imminent danger. When the threat to maim, kidnap, kill and expose her unfounded secret sex life was unabating, the nun reported the matter to the command’s anti-kidnapping unit.
“The intelligence component of the command was directed to unmask those threatening the poor nun.
“Generated intelligence report revealed that Agagwaonye’s job was to monitor Okolo and pass information gathered to her sister, Nnabude of 40, Martins Street, Ijesha, who in turn called the nun.
“Each time she did, she would tell her the clothes and shoes she was putting on and say her location. Then, she would tell her that she cannot hide from them because she would be killed soon.
“Detectives investigating the case have been charged to find out if the suspects have the capacity to carry out their threats; if they are working with other criminals and if there were other persons they were torturing psychologically. The case would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded.â€
Admitting to the allegations, Agagwaonye said she took to blackmailing the nun because she was not happy after she removed about N12,000 from her salary being for the period she took leave to write her final exams.
She claimed she never knew it was a criminal offence, adding that she never threatened to kill or harm her.
Agagwaonye said: “I did not know the text message meant threat. I have worked in that school for 18 years. She’s the sixth sister I worked with. The whole issue started when I was about writing my final exams at University of Lagos.
“I went to seek permission from her but she said she did not want to see anybody and that I should meet the Assistant headteacher, which I did. So, I went for my exams only for me to come back and realised that I was not paid salary.
“After much pleading, she said I should go and pray that she would pay me when her spirit is moved to do so. After about two weeks, she called and told me that she would not pay all. And when she paid, they deducted about N12,000 from N35,000.
“I was not happy but I continued working. Last year, I was given suspension that I was engaging in examination malpractice. N8, 000 was again deducted from my salary. So, all those things made me very unhappy and I told my sister to send the text to make her calm down.
“I told her if she didn’t change her ways and stop treating us like animals, I will make the video clip go viral.â€
