Nigeria threatens South Africa over frozen $5.7m arms deal

According to reports, Nigeria has accused South Africa today of blocking a legal arms purchase and threatened retaliation against major South African companies, including telecom giant MTN, if the spat is not resolved.

A top official in the office of Nigeria’s National Security Advisor (NSA) told AFP that the country had an agreement to buy $5.7 million worth of military hardware in a deal brokered by a South African firm, but the funds were seized and the hardware not delivered.
He said President Goodluck Jonathan had called his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma to inform him about the purchase and he was therefore surprised to learn that the deal had been blocked.

“You cannot be making so much money from Nigeria and then turn around and embarrass the people,” the NSA official said.

Zuma’s spokesman Mac Maharaj declined to comment on the reported conversation between the two leaders, but told AFP the president was not part of the committee that reviews arms deals.