South Africa ‘seizes’ another $5.7m from Nigeria

About one month after the South African authorities held two Nigerians for smuggling the sum of $9.3 million into their country, Nigeria is involved in yet another botched deal.

South Africa’s Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has reportedly seized $5.7 million also meant for the procurement of arms in South Africa.

On September 5, South African Revenue Service (SARS) had discovered three suit cases full of raw cash in an aircraft which flew into the Lanseria international airport, Johannesburg from Nigeria.

The aircraft was later traced to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), who denied any knowledge of deal, claiming to have leased the jet out months before the deal was made public.

The newspaper said documents in its possession indicate that Sambo Dasuki, Nigeria’s national security adviser, approved the previous deal.

However, City Press, a South Africa-based newspaper reported that just like the former deal, the $5.7 million was also regarded as proceeds of illegal transaction and confiscated by the South African government.

The transaction is said to be between Cerberus Risk Solutions, an arms broker in Cape Town, and Societe D’Equipments Internationaux, a Nigerian company in Abuja.

The newspaper claimed that its source revealed that D’Equipments Internationaux paid the money into Cerberus’ account at Standard Bank.

Cerberus was previously registered as a broker with the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), but the registration expired in May. The marketing and contracting permits also expired at the same time.

City Press said Rapport, its sister company, learnt that Cerberus apparently tried to pay the money back to the Nigerian company, after which the bank became suspicious.

The NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit subsequently obtained a court order in the South Gauteng high court to seize the money.

When contacted, Cerberus’ attorney, Martin Hood, allegedly declined to comment on the matter.

But Nathi Mncube, NPA spokesperson (pictured), said the issue is under investigation. He also said there were no indications the two transactions were related.

“Both are now the subject of a criminal investigation and all possible information and connections are being investigated,” Mncube said.