The allegations against the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and Alhaji Mujahideen Asari Dokubo in the botched $9.3million arms deal in South Africa have been found to be baseless.
A high-powered special team, which investigated the transaction tha was widely reported in the media, cleared both men of any complicity in the matter.
Many Nigerians, including rank Cristians Like Caridnal Olubunmi Okojie and Chris OKotie, had called for Oritsejafor head over his involvement in the cash-for-arms scandal.
There were claims in certain quarters that Dokubo was one of those who flew in the plane conveying some unnamed persons and the cash to South Africa.
However, authoritative sources disclosed that the secret panel cleared the CAN president, while also dismissing allegations that Dokubo was on the flight.
“A Special Team, comprising security agents, intelligence experts and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has investigated the $9.3million cash-for- arms deal and submitted its report to the Presidency.
“The committee confirmed that the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor had no connection with the transaction.
“The committee also discovered that the Niger Delta activist, Mujahideen Asari Dokubo was not among those on board the aircraft”, the sources said.
There was no mention of Dokubo in the manifest presented during the investigation.”
“It was true that the CAN President’s jet was used but we found out that it was without his knowledge. As at the time in question, the aircraft was on lease. And you may be aware that the lease trend is peculiar to private jet owners in the country.
“It is the view of the committee that Oritsejafor cannot be held liable for any shuttle made by a lease firm.
The source expressed surprise that the matter was made public by South African authorities in the first place since an end user certificate duly signed by the Office National Security Adviser was presented by those who were on the plane.
“The committee’s findings revealed that the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) has the statutorily and legitimately mandate to issue end-user certificate for such arms transactions. The imputations surrounding the role of the ONSA were unfounded, baseless and ill-motivated.
“The decision of South Africa to return $15million to Nigeria lent credence to the legality of the transaction. Certainly, Nigeria had no case to answer”, the source declared.
