Scandalous Smuggle Of $9.3m Into South Africa By Nigerian Air Craft
Note that: the South Africa’s City Press News Paper reported that on September 5 2014, three persons flew by a small business jet from Abuja into the Lanseria International Airport Northwest of Johannesburg smuggled $9.3m cash into South Africa packed in three suitcases and claimed that the money was meant for buying arms for the Nigerian Intelligence Service;
Further Note that: the plane, a Bombadier Challenger 600, had a Nigerian Flight crew on board, along with two Nigerian citizens and an Israeli piloted by CaptainTunde Ojongbede; Concerned that: the rate of arms infiltrating into the Country through our porous air/sea ports and land boarders is scaring, alarming and poses a great challenge to our survival, unity and development;
Aware that: the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Seized the money which is now being held at the country’s Central Bank while police are currently investigating the matter as the money detained was undisclosed, undeclared and above the prescribed legal limit;
Worried that: the passengers provided documentation showing that they had gone to South Africa officially to buy weapons on behalf of the Nigerian Government, even though the South African National Conventional Arms Control Committee, which has to approve the import and export of any weapon as well as issue permits for such transactions was not aware of any application in this case;
Further worried that: while many South African Security Agencies including the National Prosecuting Authority are involved in the matter because of its gravity, nearly all the relevant Nigerian agencies especially the Federal Air Ports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Air Space Management (NAMA), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Custom Service (NCS) have no information on the matter despite the fact that the huge money was not declared at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja;
Amazed that: the development will further tarnish the image of Nigeria in the eyes of international community; Regrets that: if urgent legislative action is not taken in response to this national embarrassment which raises doubt on the conduct of relevant agencies in the Nigerian air services especially, given the high rate of insecurity in the Country, the situation may degenerate to further over heat the polity.
RESOLVE TO: urge the House to mandate its committees on Defence and Aviation to thoroughly investigate the matter and report to the House within two weeks.