The controversy surrounding the arms haul at the Apapa Wharf in Lagos assumed a wider dimension on Thursday, as Israeli military officials claimed that the weapons were bound for the Gaza Strip.



According to wikipedia.com, the Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the South-West and Israel on the South, East and North. It is about 41 kilometres long and between six and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of 360 square kilometres.



Although it is under the administration of the Palestinians Authority, Israel maintains control over the crossings in and out of Gaza.



Israel recently intercepted a number of ships carrying aid to Gaza, accusing their operators of trying to breach its embargo on the Hamas-controlled territory.



The Israeli military officials, who declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak to journalists, told the Associated Press in Lagos that the military-grade armaments originated from Iran.



Nigerian officials had said on Wednesday that the arms came from India.



Iran remains a bitter enemy of Israel and supports Islamic militant groups in Lebanon and Gaza that are in a state of war with the Jewish state. In the winter of 2008, Israel launched a military campaign against Iran-backed militants in Gaza in an attempt to stop years of almost daily rocket attacks on southern Israel.



The Israeli officials declined to provide evidence to support their claims, citing ‘security concerns.’



But Hamas leader, Ismail Radwan, denied that the weapons were headed for Gaza. Hamas is the largest and most influential Palestinian militant movement which has since attaining power in Palestine in Januay 2006 continued its refusal to recognise the state of Israel.



The Israeli afficials and Radwan spoke with the AP shortly after the National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi (retd.), met in Abuja with top security chiefs over the Apapa Wharf seizure.



When THE PUNCH sought the view of a marine historian, Prof. Ayodeji Olukoju, on the Israeli military authorities’s claim, he said the logistics of moving weapons cache to Gaza Strip from India through Nigeria was implausible.



Olukoju, who has just been appointed as the vice-chancellor, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, said, “Nothing can be ruled out in a deadly global power politics, especially the life and death struggle in the Middle East.



“But the logistics of moving the weapons cache to Gaza makes this implausible. Maybe, Israeli intelligence knows what we don’t or it is a red herring.”



The claim by the Israeli military officials conflicts with the statement by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service that the weapons, which included 107mm artillery rockets, were destined for the country.



President Goodluck Jonathan had while reacting to the seizure of the arms and ammunition said the importer had a sinister motive.



The NCS also said on Wednesday that the vessel (MV Everest) that brought in the arms and ammunition berthed at the Apapa Wharf on July 10 and left on July 15, 2010 after the containers, in which the weapons were concealed, had been off-loaded.



It added in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, that MV Everest last stopped at Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port in India before coming to Nigeria.



Adeniyi said there had been some attempts to clear the containers “for importation into Nigeria” but “we understood later that there was an application to re-export them.”



MV Everest, a cargo ship registered in the Marshall Islands, is chartered by CMA-CGM, a shipping company based in France.



In a statement released on Thursday, CMA-CGM said the containers holding the weapons were owned by the firm that shipped them. The shipping company said the manifest for the weapons described the shipment as “packages of glasswool and pallets of stone.”



The containers “were supplied, loaded and sealed by the shipper, delivered to the port of loading for transportation and remained sealed during the whole transportation process, The seals were fully intact upon discharge in Nigeria, the statement added.”



The company declined to comment further other than to say it had cooperated with Nigerian security services.



In the hands of highly trained troops, the 107 mm artillery rockets can accurately hit targets as far as eight and a half kilometres away, killing everything within about 40 feet. Fighters in Afghanistan and Iraq have used similar rockets against American troops. China, the US and Russia manufacture versions of the rocket, as does Iran – which calls the weapon a Katyusha rocket.



In 2006, the Islamic militant group, Hezbollah, fired nearly 4,000 Katyusha rockets across Israel’s northern border, some of which fell as far as 90 kilometres inside Israel.



When our correspondent contacted the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ozo Nwobu, to ascertain if the ministry had contacted Iran on the allegation, he replied, “All questions pertaining to that incident should be directed to security agencies handling the investigation.”



But a source said the ministry would only take up the matter with the affected country after investigations had been concluded by security agents.



An official of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Abuja, who declined to be named, said the allegation was unfounded.



The official said, “You know we have a lot of enemies. Did your people see the bill of lading? Did it say it was from Iran? Was anyone arrested and the person confessed that we were involved? We need answers to these questions.”



THE PUNCH learnt in Abuja on Thursday that Azazi, met for over five hours with top security chiefs led by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Oluseyi Petirin, over the arms seizure.



It was also gathered that the Federal Government had directed stricter security presence at the ports in Apapa, Onne and other parts of the country to forestall their use for arms shipment.



A source, who made this known, added that the government had directed that security be beefed up in all the nation’s air and sea ports.



“The Navy has been put on the alert and has been instructed to strictly monitor all the waterways so that nobody can ship arms into the country. The President is concerned about the matter of arms proliferation in the country and he wants everything possible to be done to reduce it,” he said.


http://www.punchontheweb.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201010293582734

Another dimention to the whole saga.

ARE THESE GUYS JOKING

So are the people SSS arrested

So let me get this straight Indian missiles via Iran need to go through nigeria to get to Israel? I have to give this a kobojunkie laugh. . .ROFLMAO!

This story is just too suspicious!!!

jason12345:

This story is just too suspicious!!!

Like i said before,this is all propaganda. Israel and The Greatest Country Alive work hand-n-hand so basically they are helping the US apply pressure on nigeria to further push the Africom agenda and possibly along with nigeria's forecasted disintegration. Just my thoughts.

What's next to do

D-sense:

What's next to do

What's next to do? Neither Iran nor Hamas is going to claim the weapons. Finders keepers if you ask me

If I were the Nigerian government, at the least my weapons scientist would have gone through dismantling and documenting every aspect of these weapons that may be more sophisticated than we currently manufacture.

Unfortunately, we don't even have Gari scientists properly aligned!

If these containers where not seized, this story would not have come up. The initial story had it that the containers were also carrying tiles. If the consignment was really headed for Gaza strip, I think it ought to have been hidden in something else, not tiles.

Maybe a PDP godfather is responsible and as it is the custom of the cult, he must be protected at all cost! hence the cock and bull story! Sometimes these people think that we are imbeciles that is incapable of thinking, Imagine these nonsense 
The rocket for hamas from Iran?
For your information Iran does not need to undertake such ludicrous journey of sailing almost round the world to deliver rockets  to gaza that is a stonethrow from them!
They have been shipping rockets and other armaments to Gaza for years through the tunnels under Rafah crossing in Egypt, I tell u, even cars are brought into Gaza through these tunnels!
Another hole through the shameless assertion, is that building materials are part of the contrabands that Israel prohibits from entering Gaza, any ship bringing materials into Gaza can only dock at Ashdod port of Israel, cos Gaza is under a blockade (Remember Mavi Marmara), I can assure u Israel don't collect bribe like our own port workers does especially when their security is at stake, any such vessel going to Gaza must be offloaded at Ashdod and the cargo taken by road into Gaza after thorough inspection!
So, such Ship with building materials (a contraband) going to Gaza is like a ship with a giant bull'seye on it crying SEARCH ME! SEARCH ME!! SEARCH ME!!!
This is just the beginning of the drama, 9ja we hail thee! (Now i beleive that we have cretins leading our security agencies, imagine such bullshit!  )

This is getting interesting, Pls, Grab a seat

First of all, what has Nigeria got to do with Israel?

And why were the bombs going thru Lagos? I hope Nigeria has not signed herself up for sth bigger than she can chew.

GAR3TH:

I think because the large majority of africa doesnt have proper maritime defense equipment. and for the fact that no nation controls the open oceans, is why the Hamas or who ever, chose to go by sea instead of going by land. land meaning the heavy patrolled borders of the war ravaged middle east. . . thats my theory

So u actually believe this whole Iran hamas israel thing?

GAR3TH:

I think because the large majority of africa doesnt have proper maritime defense equipment. and for the fact that no nation controls the open oceans, is why the Hamas or who ever, chose to go by sea instead of going by land. land meaning the heavy patrolled borders of the war ravaged middle east. . . thats my theory

May i ask?
how is the container goin to be delivered to Hamas in Gaza?
By Aferi (Local invisibility / teleportation) ?

If one were to humour this story, then you could say that the weapons would probably have gone over land. There are smuggling routes through Sudan as well. This is only a plausible theory if there is any truth in the Gaza story.

Just to point out that there is a mistake in the punch article. Isreal does not control all the crossings into Gaza. Egypt controls the Rafah crossing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafah_Border_Crossing

The term 'Katyusha' isn't Iranian in origin. it's Russian.

But it's clear that 107mm artillery rockets aren't meant for election era violence.

I think what MEND or Boko Haram would be more interested in at this point are SAMs or Stinger Anti-aircraft missiles to take out Nigerian choppers.

texazzpete:

The term 'Katyusha' isn't Iranian in origin. it's Russian.

But it's clear that 107mm artillery rockets aren't meant for election era violence.

I think what MEND or Boko Haram would be more interested in at this point are SAMs or Stinger Anti-aircraft missiles to take out Nigerian choppers.

What kind of dunce statement was that?
What do u think car bomb is made with?
A bag of rice and a jerry can of petrol?
You people u neva cease to amaze!

chyz1:

So let me get this straight[b] Indian missiles via Iran need to go through nigeria to get to Israel?[/b] I have to give this a kobojunkie laugh. . .ROFLMAO!

You can't underestimate anything in international politics.The controversial Gaza strip has a strict security procedure and there would have been suspicion if those containers were to have reached  Israel en route Iran.
on the other hand,the porosity of our ports/boarders and  our close relations with Israel may have been capitalized on.So much theories can be deduced from this singular incident but lets wait and see the outcome of the investigation.

~Bluetooth:

You can't underestimate anything in international politics.[b]The controversial Gaza strip has a strict security procedure and there would have been suspicion if those containers were to have reached Israel en route Iran.[/b]on the other hand,the porosity of our ports/boarders and our close relations with Israel may have been capitalized on.So much theories can be deduced from this singular incident but lets wait and see the outcome of the investigation.

YOU HAVE A VIVID POINT!!!!!!

Nigeria and stupid journalist . Hw can someone say a katyusha solid propellant rocket is 107 high angle mortar munition. If u dnt know somtin just shut up

What do u expect Israel to say about Iran?
they've been belligerent to each other for years concerning Gaza, and now they heard that Iran is shipping weapons to Nigeria, the kind they've been intercepting before in Gaza!
For your information 107mm artillery rockets are manufactured by China, Iran and Russia, as well as the United States. The rockets can be fired from launchers with multiple rockets, or individually as a mortar.

Documented proof of Iranian complicity in arms smuggling to terrorists
An examination of the munitions seized proves conclusively that the source of the arms was Iran. 107mm artillery rocket found on the Francop (IDF Spokesperson)
[img]http://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/5C47C4D7-4EB8-48EB-BFB5-B42D6B53344A/0/107mm268.jpg[/img]
On Tuesday (November 3, 2009) a special Israeli naval force detained and boarded the MV Francop, a merchant ship flying the flag of Antigua and destined for the Syrian port of Latakia.

Hidden among the dozens of other containers on board, and disguised as civilian goods, the ship contained a consignment of 36 shipping containers with 500 tons of arms en route via Syria to the Hizbullah terrorist organization in Lebanon. A total of about 9,000 mortar bombs of different types were seized, along with about 3,000 Katyusha artillery rockets, 3,000 recoilless gun shells, 20,000 grenades and over a half million rounds of small arms ammunition.

Iran routinely smuggles weapons to terrorist groups it supports. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards transfer their shipments over air, sea, and land routes, and do not hesitate to make use of civilian carriers, often without their knowledge.

An examination of the munitions seized proves conclusively that the source of the arms was Iran. This is clear both from the shipping documents and the markings on the munitions themselves.

All photos unless otherwise marked: IDF Spokesperson
[img]http://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/C02563B3-2DA1-4641-9A0B-E14D6E8BE717/0/polyethylenesm.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/3CE045F2-9959-4183-972D-5094C88C170D/0/107mm2sm.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/7D01414A-F98C-4871-B9E2-0F5446D16826/0/107mm3sm.jpg[/img]

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/The+Iranian+Threat/Support+of+terror/Proof_Iranian_arms_smuggling_to_terrorists_Nov+2009.htm


Of course Israel will say "IRAN IS TRYING TO GET US AGAIN THROUGH GAZA!"

the are lying o

Compare the picture of arms seized at the lagos port with the one, israel seized above in 2009!
Its a proof that Iran is up to no good and its not against Israel this time, Some people in Nigeria are preparing for trouble and Iran is helping them! 

Iran!, we are

r_o_b_b_y:


hahahah!! I could almost hear the soundtrack in my head lol. Pure genius.

Yeah, Pink Panther, i think, will do justice to it

Isreal should go and sit down,

I am sorry to bring this here, but i feel like i'm going to choke if i dont speak out against Zenith bank daylight robbery on its customers. I was pleaded to open an a/c with them and i finally opened a savings a/c. But to my greatest surprise, anytime i recive money into this a/c, they charge me a minimum of N200.00. The shocking thing is that they did not inform me neither did the alert they send to me display this. It was until i checked my previous balance from my present balance, that i noticed a difference. When i enquired, they told me that it is upcountry charge that i can get a waiver. But i feel so sad that this is going on in a co-operate environment without recourse to customers. I don't have any problem with banks' charges, but c'mom, this is the height of it. In this period of online real time banking. U charged me for recieving money that creates liquidity for you that you also use to trade in all forms of say Tbills, Bonds, FX, loan customers, then you charge me? On a savings a/c? Haba! Without even telling me?
Then i told my firend who also informed that he once did an a/c to a/c transfer within two Zenith Bank savings a/cs and was charged C.O.T as much as N6,000.00. That really got me crazy, 'cos i know that other banks i bank with, they have never charged me for transferring money from one a/c to another within same bank. Haba!!! what kind of co-operate robbery is this. He was not even informed until he finished the transactions and saw his balance. How can you charge someone for ;
1. saving the bank cost and time by not queueing up to withdraw, thereby putting the bank through the stress of counting and paying, and then queue up again to pay the money (count again and deposit).
2. By creating liquidity for the bank since the money is not leaving the bank, but still within the bank.

Please, as much as this might be the wrong forum and there will definitely be dissenting voices. I urge all who support this to start posting it everywhere possibvle- twitter, facebook, sahara reporters, any other social network site.
Pls dont stop.
This is not just against Zenith, but against any other bank that is doing this unethical thing. People should know their right and fight for it. I have never heard of this type before and it must stop. I learnt banks like UBA use to do same until they met a customer their match and they stopped. So we must stop Zenith and other such banks. There are many ways banks make money. Zenith have all sorts of charges, but this is definitely the height of it- stealing from unsuspecting Nigerians!PLEASE START POSTING. I AM ALSO CONSIDERING WRITING EFCC & CBN ON THIS

Hmmm. . .it seems Iran and Isreal have brought their politicking & bickering into Nigeria.

I doubt the story these rockets were meant for the Gaza strip. It's most likely for some group in Nigeria.

na2day!:

What kind of dunce statement was that?
What do u think car bomb is made with?
A bag of rice and a jerry can of petrol?
You people u neva cease to amaze!

If you don't know anything, it's better to keep your mouth shut instead of airing your stupidity.
The explosives in IEDs can be crafted from many commonplace items like fertilizer as well as jury-rigged artillery shells.
Re-read my comment you dolt!

Then what was shipped? cretin!
sawdust?

^^