According to online news platform, SaharaReporters, an investigation carried out by them revealed that a Nigerian private jet caught in Johannesburg with the $10 million reportedly belongs to Ayo Oritsejafor, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
SaharaReporters say that the CAN president is a close confidant of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The news site reports that the “CAN leader’s private plane with US registration number N808HG was one of two jets cited by South African officials on September 5 Mr. Oritsejafor’s jet arrived South Africa with $9.3 million cash loaded in several suitcases. News of the seizure of the cash broke over the weekend, triggering questions about the ownership of the jets and weapons they intended to purchase.”
It was revealed to the news platform by the Nigerian Aviation Authorities that “one of the jets belonged to Pastor Oritsejafor while the second one was registered to Felix Idiga, the owner of Jafac Aviation Limited.”
Two Nigerians and an Israeli defense contractor, Eyal Mesiaka have arrived in South Africa in the private jet when they were accosted by officials but was Oritsejafor’s jet was released after the intervention of some top Nigerian officials who claimed the weapons to be purchased had the official blessing of the Nigerian government. The jet arrived with two plastic suitcases and two hand luggages with combination locks only known to the Isreali contractor, SaharaReporters revealed.
The news platform claimed they “rang the mobile telephone number of Mr. Idiga. At first, he pretended and claimed that he was the Aide De camp to Mr. Idiga. But when our correspondent identified himself as a reporter from SaharaReporters, he owned he started answering questions relating to the issues but claimed the jet we published on our site wasn’t his own. Asked if he knew of another private jet named in apparent arms buy in South Africa, he asked where we got our information after we read the jet registration number to him. He then denied that his jet was involved, before hastily hanging up the phone.”
SaharaReporters say they reportedly were unable to reach the CAN president.
