CHRISTIAN Association of Nigeria (Can) president Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has been implicated in the ongoing Dasukigate arms scandal after it emerged that the $9.3m seized from his plane in South Africa was handed to him by Col Sambo Dasuki.  

Former national security adviser Col Dasuki is currently at the centre of a huge corruption scandal after it emerged that he doled out $2.1bn meant to purchase weapons for the military to government officials and political associates. Investigations into the matter revealed that pastor Oritsejafor was one of the beneficiaries of his largess as the cash seized from his plane in Johannesburg came from the pool. 

On September 5 2014, South African customs officials seized a Bombardier Challenger 601 private jet containing $9.3m in cash at Johannesburg international airport. Investigations revealed that the jet belonged to Pastor Oritsejafor but he denied any wrongdoing, saying the jet was given to him as a birthday gift and he subsequently leased it out to the Green Coast Produce Company on August 2, 2014. 

Adding that he was not responsible for what uses the company put the aircraft to, the Can president has denied being involved in any form of money laundering. According to the Nigerian government at the time, the money was to be used for arms purchases but while the saga continued, the South African government decided to hold on to the cash. 

Recent investigations show, however, that Pastor Oritsejafor, former president Dr Goodluck Jonathan and Col Dasuki coordinated the movement of the cash and that its original destination was Cyprus, not South Africa. It is not yet clear if the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will invite Pastor Oritsejafor to come and explain if this was indeed the case. 

When the plane was first seized, the Nigeria government said the money was to be used to purchase arms from Tier One in South Africa. However, it turned out that Tier One is not registered in that country to sell arms and that it was going to buy any weapons it was asked to from the ESD International Group in Cyprus.