Before this appointment, Ghaani was Deputy Commander of the Quds Force for thirteen years and part of his work was reported to included overseeing the financial disbursements to paramilitary groups like Hezbollah.
But what should concern Nigerians is that Esmail Ghaani was implicated in a mysterious arms shipment scandal that took place in Lagos, Nigeria in 2010.
A lot of us have forgotten but on October 10th, 2010, the Nigerian Customs and the Nigerian Army intercepted an arms shipment supposedly intended for Gambia at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
The weapons in thirteen containers and were shown to journalists in Lagos. Rocket Launchers, Grenades and 107mm rockets designed to attack static targets and used by armies to support infantry units were some of the weapons found in the shipment.
Security experts say they had also been used by groups including the Taliban in Afghanistan and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Matthew Idakwo was the Nigerian prosecutor in charge of the investigation and he said "This is a matter of great national importance, and if I may add, it has international implications. These arms were imported from Iran to our country. It is of great interest to the world."
The shipment was done by the French-based shipping group CMA CGM who said that it had been the victim of a false cargo declaration and that the weapons and ammunition were in sealed containers which had been declared as "packages of glass wool and pallets of stone."
Iran is under UN sanctions because of its nuclear program and is banned Iran from supplying, selling or transferring arms.
An Iranian national by the name of Azim Aghajani was arrested by the Nigerian security forces and charged over the situation.
Court documents reportedly identified him as a Tehran businessman, and also a member of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
Published reports by the US Treasury on the issue said that Esmail Ghani's authority covered IRGC-QF financial disbursements to IRGC-QF elements, including elements in Africa, as well as to various terrorist groups, including Hizballah. As Deputy Commander, Ghani had financial oversight of the IRGC-QF weapons shipment that was intended for The Gambia.
Three Nigerians were also charged in connection with the shipment, which included rockets and grenades hidden among building materials.
The court said Mr. Aghajani had been charged with attempting to import prohibited arms into Nigeria and conspiring to send the illegal shipment to Gambia.
Israeli media reports, citing Israeli defense officials, have suggested the weapons may have been destined for Hamas Islamists in Gaza and that a new smuggling route was being tested. Israel's foreign ministry declined to comment.
Eventually, A Nigerian court sentenced Azim Aghajani the alleged member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and his Nigerian accomplice to five years in prison on Monday over an illegal shipment of mortars and rockets.
In the aftermath of the judgment, US Treasury Reports said this was proof of "Iran’s malign influence in the Middle East, Africa and beyond. As the Iranian regime exports its lethal aid and expertise to foment violence in Syria and Africa, Treasury will continue to expose the officials and companies involved and work to hold them accountable for the suffering they cause,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen.
Ali Abbas Usman Jega was the Nigerian accomplice who acted as the local shipping agent in Nigeria, supporting the IRGC-QF in importing the arms shipment. Jega facilitated the entry of IRGC-QF personnel into Nigeria.
Today Esmail Ghaani sits as the leading figure in the Iranian Military Establishment.
Nigeria must look deeply at the occurrences in our space since the period when these shipments were being made and ask itself what our security situation is really about.
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