The office of the
National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, has been fingered in the
bungled arms purchase deal that involved two yet-to-identified Nigerians
and an Abuja-based Israeli man, Eyal Mesika. In a series
of interviews, Nigerian security sources told SaharaReporters that the
men caught in South Africa with cash of close to $10 million had ties to
the NSA’s office.
The Nigerian government has maintained a curious silence since the
scandal broke on September 5 when South African law enforcement
agents confiscated $9.3 million from two Nigerian private jets that
landed at Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg. However, a source in the
Presidency told SaharaReporters that the government had reached out to
South Africa and explained that the arms purchase deal had Abuja’s
official approval. Despite such assurances, the deal has continued to
raise dust and trigger questions.
A source in Abuja said some intelligence professionals were
questioning the propriety of using cash and secretive means to purchase
weapons. “The use of raw cash by government to buy weapons abroad is not
appropriate. Look at all the embarrassment now,” said the source. “It’s
the kind of system used by criminals and shady organizations,” he
added.
SaharaReporters reached Mr. Mesika by phone today in
Abuja, but he said he had no intention of speaking about the gun
purchase affair. He claimed that his trip to South Africa was to buy a
“private helicopter,” but declined to answer further questions put to
him by our reporter.
Court documents filed by South
African prosecutors in order to obtain a freeze order for the cash
differ from Mr. Mesika’s account.
A spokesman for South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority
disclosed that the country’s investigators found the Nigerian
arms buyers with invoices from two South African firms called Tier
One and ESD. The invoices were for armaments and a helicopter.
According to South Africa’s CityPress, “In court papers, the NPA
submitted evidence that Tier One is not registered with the National
Conventional Arms Control Committee and is thus not authorized to enter
into any agreements regarding the sale and/or rental of military
equipment.”
The paper further revealed, “The agreement between Tier One and ESD
was concluded on September 8, three days after the money was seized at
Lanseria.”
Meanwhile Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, whose private jet was used in the
transactions, has admitted to owning the Bombardier Challenger 600 jet
used in ferrying cash to South Africa. Mike Awe, a media representative
for the flamboyant pastor, who is also the president of the Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN), spoke to SaharaReporters and confirmed
that the jet belongs to Mr. Oritsejafor. “I can confirm to you that
Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor owns the jet,” Mr. Awe said in a phone
conversation with SaharaReporters.
Mr. Awe said Mr. Oritsejafor was currently indisposed, adding that
the pastor, who is a close confidant of President Goodluck Jonathan,
had leased the jet to a third party company for use in air jet charters.
He said Mr. Oritsejafor did not personally have knowledge of the trip
to South Africa.
Mr. Oritsejafor’s ownership of the jet has raised several questions.
One is that the plane seized by South African officials is actually
registered in the US for use only as a private jet, not for commercial
purposes. Another issue is whether Pastor Oritsejafor owns more than one
jet. In 2012, members of his congregation presented him with the gift
of a jet. However, the registration number of the jet detained by South
African authorities differs from the registration details for
the jet purchased by Mr. Oritsejafor’s congregants. In response to
criticism of his acquisition of a private jet, the pastor had argued
that he needed the jet to enable him to travel widely for events related
to his ministry. The question then is whether the commercial leasing of
a private jet is part of Mr. Oritsejafor’s ministry.
Mr. Awe was unable to respond to whether the pastor owns more than
one jet. He stated that he could not reach Mr. Oritsejafor for
clarification of the matter
