“The Federal Government has submitted relevant data and documents on the transaction to South Africa and insisted that the transaction was legitimate. It also clarified that the funds were not laundered or smuggled for any covert manoeuvres. No launderer will be audacious to fly into a country in a chartered jet with such a huge cash. The technical details on security matters, which necessitated the desk, had been availed South Africa for screening. Based on initial scrutiny of the documents, the Challenger Jet has been released pending the conclusion of a full-scale investigation by South Africa,” Premium Times quoted PRNigeria as saying in a statement.

The online pmedium quoted another source as saying that the South African authorities impounded the cash because of “procedural error” at the airport: the team did not declare the $9.3 million contrary to the aviation and customs laws in South Africa. So, there was an oversight on the part of the delegation that went to complete the transaction.

“Nigeria is trying to complete the formality and we are confident that the cash will be released for the purpose it was meant for.

“Movement of cash for strategic purchase of security equipment by intelligence service is not new; it is a global trend. The FBI, KGB, MOSSAD and others do it,” the source was quoted as saying.

But these explanations raised more questions than answers, the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, said in a statement on 18 September. The party called on President Jonathan to come clean on the deal and provide reasonable answers to questions being raised by Nigerians.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, APC called on the National Assembly to open an investigation into the matter. Even before an investigation was carried out, the party said it believed Jonathan was at the centre of the whole issue. APC then raised 15 questions it said Jonathan should answer.

“It is absolutely urgent for President Jonathan to clear the air on this alleged off-the-shelf equipment or arms purchase, which runs against all known protocol for such purchases anywhere in the world. Military equipment and weapons are not bean cakes to be purchased by the road side. There are globally-acceptable protocols for such purchases by governments, otherwise what differentiates a government from an insurgent group that is shopping for arms?” queried Mohammed.

APC wondered if the Jonathan Administration was not aware that the UN General Assembly on 2 April, 2013 adopted a landmark Arms Trade Treaty, ATT, to regulate the international trade in conventional weapons. “Though the ATT has not come into effect, the fact that Nigeria is among the few countries to have signed and ratified the treaty shows that the country is concerned by unregulated arms trade,” APC said.

The party said the “procedural error” excuse was not tenable because the Nigerian authorities cannot pretend not to be aware that anyone bringing into South Africa more than R25,000 or U$10,000 or the equivalent thereof in foreign currency must declare such. APC said all details about the transaction must be made public. But on Thursday, 18 September, when this report was written, Nigerians were still expecting answers to those questions.