BUSTED:
Dansuki Linked to Seized $9.3million (N1.5bn)
Arms Deal in South Africa…How funds were Authorized in Aso Rock under ONSA
* True Identity of John Ishyaku Uncovered, Phoney Arms Purchase Exposed
*PLUS how Ex-NSA pressured South Africa Govt to release funds to Nigeria
*’I have been Vindicated, Absolved of any Scandal’-CAN President, Ayo Oritsejafor
#QUOTE: ‘Rather Fail with Honor than Succeed by Fraud’-Sophocles
BY OLIHA SAMUEL/SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, INVESTIGATIONS
IT was true that two Nigerians and an Israeli were arrested at Lanseria International Airport, Johannesburg in South Africa last year (2014) when the passenger luggage of a Challenger Bombardier 600 with Registration Number N808HG was unloaded and scanned after which money loaded, concealed in two black plastic suitcases filled with 90 blocks each containing $100,000 in notes were uncovered by the airport’s customs’ officers. What is news, however is the alleged tracing of Colonel Sambo Dansuki, former National Security Adviser, NSA to ex-President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to the earlier seized funds and how the huge sum was eventually released by South African Government to Nigeria few months ago.
Sambo Dansuki Linked to Seized $9.3million (N1.5bn) Arms Deal in South Africa…How funds were Authorized in Aso Rock under ONSA
Investigation by this correspondent showed that earlier last year covert operation coordinated by Office of National Security Adviser, ONSA under Dansuk had mapped out plans to allegedly ‘ferry’ the lump sum of $9.3million about N1.5billion in cash out of the country for keeps ahead of the 2015 Presidential Elections but not to raise any eyebrow, leakage or any media exposure by All Peoples Congress, APC, then in the opposition. The huge sum, according to security sources was meant to be ‘shared’ after the Presidential Election victory believed would have been won by then leading Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
From ONSA, it was thought that the illicit funds could be flown to South Africa using the private jet of Bishop Ayo Oritsejafor, President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, with a caveat that there was no way APC or any of their allied would have found out. Under the direct supervision of Dansuki message were sent to Eagle Air Company, a firm CAN President contracted out the management of his private jet to on July 2014. After few inquiries, reference was made by ONSA undercover operatives to Green Coast Produce Limited, a third company that leased this same private jet from Eagle Air on August 2, 2014.
True Identity of John Ishyaku Uncovered, Phoney Arms Purchase Exposed
ONSA hatched final plans by instructing the two Nigerians to allegedly feigned ‘ignorance’ or absent-mindedness on the declaration of the $9.3million, since there was a phoney invoice showing the sum was to be used to purchase helicopter in South Africa. And they played along.
Through few of Dansuki’s loyal aides, John Ishyaku, a shrewd businessman from North East was drafted into the deal, with a warning to convince Green Coast Produce Limited that he was ready to charter the private jet in the following routes: (a) Depart Abuja-Johannesburg on the 5th September 2014 (b) Return to Abuja the 6th September 2014 (c) Wait briefly in Abuja and return with Passengers to Lagos.
That was how the two Nigerians and an Israeli were eventually arrested, impounded by South African custom service. Ishyaku had made spirited phone calls to ONSA and an alternative plan was hatched so that APC would not get access to the then impending scandal. But in the end, APC heard all about the shady details and mount heavy media campaign, pressures on Dansuki, all other military chiefs and then GEJ. Truth was: “there was nothing like arms purchase, rather it was a game been played directly by ONSA to ensure the huge sum was kept outside Nigerian shores in cash to be shared later after the PDP’s supposed 2015 Presidential Election victory,” added our security source.
This led to several invitation and committees set up by the Senate and House of Representatives into the scandal which yielded no result. Sadly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC under the later sacked Ibrahim Larmode did not see anything wrong in the N1.5billion arms for cash deal.
It was to be later discovered mid- this year that Ishyaku was a fictitious name given to Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS by ONSA to process e-passport for an undercover agent of Dansuki purposely to take the $9.3 billion abroad. Till date, there is no trace of John Ishyaku anywhere in the whole of Northern Nigeria.
How Ex-NSA pressured South Africa Govt to release funds to Nigeria
In the twilight of GEJ administration, former NSA had to vigorously initiate legal and diplomatic processes by way of pressuring the South African Government until the fund was remitted back to Nigeria mid this year. This was confirmed and corroborated by PRNigeria, the official consulting firm issuing statements on behalf of Nigerian security agencies. Their statements reportedly read: “The said fund has been finally released. The money was released as a result of some legal and diplomatic processes initiated by the former NSA which ensured that cash seized by the South African government during the cash-for-arms saga last year have been fully recovered by Nigeria.”
‘My Bombardier Challenger 600 Jet Registration NO: N808HG Hired out, No Knowledge of Arms Deal’-CAN President, Oritsejafor
A pastor with Word of Life Bible Church in Lagos (names witheld), since he was not authorized to speak explained to us that Bishop Ayo Oritsejafor is truly a man of God and had no knowledge whatsoever that the private jet he contracted out to be managed by Eagles Air company, later sublet on lease to Green Coast Produce Limited was ever used to launder money in form of arms purchase. His words: “During one of our meetings with Papa, our General Overseer last year, he made it clear that he was innocent of the allegation in form of media trial. He said time will prove his innocence, as he will be absolved and and cleared of any scandal. We are all happy today that our bishop has been vindicated and had nothing to do with the scandal.”