Nigeria to release plane laden with arms

The Federal Government has ordered security operatives to release an N’djamenabound arms-laden Antonov Cargo Aircraft, which was impounded at the Aminu Kano International Airport on Saturday.

According to New Telegraph, the disclosure was made yesterday in Abuja, by the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshall Adesola Amosu, at a press conference that was attended by the French Defence Attaché (DA) to Nigeria, Col. Marc Humbert.
Amosu observed that the seized cargo did not fulfil conditions precedent to an existing “Block Clearance” arrangement, hence the decision of the Federal Government to seize the controversial aircraft.
According to CAS, the decision to interrogate the origin and mission of the cargo, in the first instance, was a pre-emptive and deliberate one, having regard to the global effect of terrorism, which share the country is currently contending with in parts of the North.
“The situation we have is that on December 6, an Antonov 124 aircraft with registration RA 82038 departed Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR) for destination to Ndjemena, Chad.
“However, from our records, we had no such clearance to operate into Kano although with the French Government, we do have a ‘block clearance’ to cover up most flights throughout the year,” he said.