The South African Ambassador to Nigeria, Lulu Mnguni, on Wednesday says he has no details on the reported release of $15m arms funds that was confiscated by his country from the federal government in 2014.
There have been media reports that the money has been released to Nigeria, but the envoy says he hasn’t been briefed on the matter by his government.
One of our correspondents had reached out to the envoy last Friday following reports that the immediate past National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, explored legal and diplomatic channels to effect the release of the money to the Federal Government before he left office on July 13,2015.
The ambassador promised to find out the status of the subject from Pretoria, but when the correspondent contacted him on Monday, he explained that he had yet to get a feedback from the authorities in South Africa.
When Mnguni was again contacted on Wednesday, he said he had no update on the release of the money, adding that he would not be able to speak further on the issue.
He explained that it was not ideal for the Nigerian government to read about the matter in the media without being briefed.
He said, “We have not heard anything (from South Africa), even if we hear anything, we still have to communicate it to the government of Nigeria, we can’t go to the press without talking to the (Nigerian) government. We have to talk first to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also did not have any information on the issue. It’s spokesperson, Ogbole Ahmedu-Ode, said he did not have any update on it.
On his part, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation told one of our correspondents that it had no records that the seized amount has been returned to the government.
The Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, who spoke through his media office said, “The truth is that we don’t have any evidence to that effect and there is nothing here now to show it has been returned.
“In any case, if it’s returned it won’t come to us straight and we won’t know immediately. It will go to the office where the funds was first released before such records get to us.
“So, I advise you check with the agency from where the money was released for the arms acquisition deal.”
The Assets Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority had confiscated the $15m meant for purchase of arms by the FG in two separate tranches of $9.3m and $5.7m.
The first tranche of $9.3m cash was found stashed in three suit cases by two Nigerians and an Israeli at Lanseria Airport, north of Johannesburg in September, 2014 while the second amount was seized three weeks after.
The news of the first transaction sparked anger after it emerged that the private jet involved belonged to the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.
Oritsejafor, a close ally of former President Goodluck Jonathan, said the plane had been leased to a third party and he could not be blamed for its schedules.
The FG later admitted it was behind the arms deal, claiming it acted out of desperation for arms to defeat the Boko Haram sect.
