New revelations concerning the private jet that conveyed $9.3m arms deal cash from Nigeria to South Africa are out!
According to Premium Times, the private jet had Nigerian crew members, and passengers from Israel and Austria in which new documents obtained in Johannesburg have shown. It has shown that there were three Nigerians aboard the plane.
According to the manifest obtained by Premium Times, the identities of the passengers and crew who delivered the controversial package have been mad available. It would be recalled that South Africa seized the money early September, accusing the Nigerian government of violating its laws of regulating transfer of cash.
Also, another payment by the Nigerian government for arms to combat the extremist Boko Haram sect, was also confiscated. The second transfer, totalling $5.7 million, was wired through the banks. This made the South African ambassador to Nigeria to be quoted afterwards as saying the money had been returned to Nigeria, a claim that has yet to be verified.
However, details of the first transaction according to a South African newspaper, City Press, has revealed that an Israeli and two Nigerians were on the airplane that transported the sum to Lanseria airport in South Africa.
The first transaction was said to have been transported with the huge sum of money being transported to South Africa on September 5 in two plastic bag suitcases and two hand luggage aboard an airplane belonging to Ayo Oritsejafor, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN.
Although the Nigerian government confirmed the transactions, denying violating any foreign law, the Nigerian government was conscious enough in covering up the names of names of those on the airplane. However, Premium Times has obtained documents showing details of the transaction, including the flight manifest of the airplane. The listing shows that aside Mr. Mesika, the only Nigerians on board the aircraft were crew members.
The manifest also shows that the other two passengers who conveyed the cash were Austrians, R. Wolfgang and M. Michael. The flight crew members of the Project Eagle Air jet with flight number: N808HE were Ojongbede R.T (captain), Fejoku U, (flight officer) and George E.E (flight attendant).
The listing contradicts reports that the other passengers were Nigerians, a claim that set off an intense controversy after the All Progressives Congress, APC, accused a former militant leader, Dokubo Asari, of being one of those aboard the plane.