[b]Military equipment is for French peacekeepers in Chad - ----Jacques Champagne de Labriolle, France ambassador to Nigeria.

AVIATION authorities are to release the Russian plane seized in Kano over the weekend after receiving a satisfactory explanation that the military hardware the aircraft was carrying was meant for French peacekeepers currently serving in Chad.
On Saturday, security officials at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport seized a Russian Antonov plane that was enroute to the Chadian capital Ndjamena laden with arms and ammunition. It was feared that the weapons might belong to terrorist sect Boko Haram but the French embassy in Nigeria has come out to confirm that it owns the cargo.
Loaded with two helicopters parts and other sophisticated weapons including two sport utility vehicles and an array of AK 47 assault rifles, the plane had stopped in Kano to refuel before it was seized. Its six crew members were arrested but the Russian embassy has denied it has anything to do with the weapons, pointing out that it was the French government who hired the aircraft.
According to the Russian Embassy in Abuja, the seized aircraft had been chartered to transport the military equipment to the French peacekeepers in Chad. It issued an official Tweet saying: “The plane was chartered by the French peacekeeping mission in Chad and transporting its property."
Defence spokesman Group Captain Wakperem Maigida, said that the military had already commenced an investigation into the impounded aircraft. He added that the military authorities are seeking to determine the content and origin of the aircraft.
However, France has admitted ownership of the seized cargo plane. France's embassy in Nigeria said that the flight was covered by a diplomatic clearance given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, noting that the Autonov 124 commercial plane was forced to land at the Kano airport because of dense air traffic at the Ndjamena airport in Chad.
Jacques Champagne de Labriolle, France's ambassador to Nigeria, said that the plane had to divert to an alternate international airport and the closest facility was Kano. He added that the Russian crew decided to fly there to refuel and to take off again for Ndjamena.
Mr de Labriolle denied that the plane was carrying arms and ammunition, stressing that it was conveying two light Gazelle helicopters, spare parts and maintenance items belonging to the French Army. He added that official information had been supplied by the French embassy in Nigeria, noting that the federal and airport authorities, being satisfied with the documents and the genuine character of the flight, had announced that the plane would be authorised to pursue its flight to Ndjamena.[/b]

The French ambassador ought to address a press conference on this issue.

More importantly, the Nigerian Chief of Air Staff, The Aviation Minister, and the Foreign Affairs minister ought to address a press conference with all major tv and radio stations airing it.
Journalists should feel free to ask about

1)when the aircraft entered Nigeria airspace?
2)when it asked permission to land?
3)when it was cleared to land in Kano?
4)when was the Foreign affairs minister aware?
5) when was the aviation minister aware?
6)when was the Air Chief aware.?
etc
the conference should be transcribed in Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa (not ajami).

Russians flying Military equipment for French soldiers on a Russian plane that nobody knew about until it mysteriously landed in Nigeria.

One day Africans will learn that real power exists not in stealing public funds and buying Benzes and Mansions, but in empowering your citizenry, beefing up your military and making your country strong so that outsiders from thousands of miles away can't bully you in your own land through proxies living in your backyard.

Somebody rightly mentioned that French forces DO NOT use AK47 assault rifles . . And there were thousands of such rifles in that evil plane! Who are going to use the AKs then?? French forces in sambissa?? You may need to try another lie Monsiur Ambassador

tit:
The French ambassador ought to address a press conference on this issue.

More importantly, the Nigerian Chief of Air Staff, The Aviation Minister, and the Foreign Affairs minister ought to address a press conference with all major tv and radio stations airing it.
Journalists should feel free to ask about

1)when the aircraft entered Nigeria airspace?
2)when it asked permission to land?
3)when it was cleared to land in Kano?
4)when was the Foreign affairs minister aware?
5) when was the aviation minister aware?
6)when was the Air Chief aware.?
etc
the conference should be transcribed in Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa (not ajami).

The Nigerian journalists should also ask them:

1 - Why not use a normal french military plane?

2 - Why hire a Russian plane to do the "job"?

Horus:


The Nigerian journalists should also ask them:

1 - Why not use a normal french military plane?

2 - Why hire a Russian plane to do the "job"?

that question should not be for Nigerian officials.


from some previous posts of SirShymmex, the Russians commercialized a heavylift aircraft division of their "airfleet".
They have contracts to lift cargo for NATO and even the US Army. (The Russian heavylift aircraft carrys bigger payloads than the biggest the Americans have).

They might be the ones that lifted the firefighting vehicles from the US to Jigawa's Dutse airport.

owobokiri:
Somebody rightly mentioned that French forces DO NOT use AK47 assault rifles . . And there were thousands of such rifles in that evil plane! Who are going to use the AKs then?? French forces in sambissa?? You may need to try another lie Monsiur Ambassador

from pictures of the cargo hold of the aircraft, which are readily available online, there were no, thousands of, ak-47s inside the aircraft.