An explosive investigation has revealed that disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, through their high-level connections, allegedly used spy tech surveillance to mine profits in Nigeria.
Reports indicated that the duo marketed advanced “field-tested” technology, which was originally developed for use in Palestinian territories, to the Nigerian government under the guise of aiding the country’s fight against insurgency.
A trove of emails released by the United States Department of Justice outlined how Epstein and Barak used spy tech to pitch “field-proven” security solutions to government officials in Nigeria.
The correspondence indicated that these security deals were frequently utilized as a gateway for broader commercial interests, including infrastructure projects for DP World and investments in the energy sector.
The revelations come days after Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem resigned as chairman of the Emirati logistics giant DP World on February 13 amid fallout from the disclosure of his close ties to Epstein.
According to one of the documents posted on the official website of the U.S Department of Justice, Epstein and Barak viewed the escalating violence in West Africa not as a humanitarian crisis but as a business opportunity. In a 2014 email regarding civil unrest in Syria, Libya, and Somalia, Epstein wrote to Barak, “isn’t this perfect for you”.
Barak replied, “You’re right in a way. But not simple to transform it into a cash flow.”
It was also gathered that Barak facilitated the sale of similar biometric surveillance equipment to Babcock University, a Christian institution in Nigeria. The project was framed as a counterterrorism measure, with a press release at the time boasting that the technology would “filter away all unwanted persons”.
In 2018, emails revealed that Epstein allegedly brokered discussions between Jide Zeitlin, then-chair of Nigeria’s sovereign investment fund, and bin Sulayem. The documents showed Epstein attempting to navigate U.S sanctions on figures involved in the mining sector to facilitate these deals.
“I hope your pal’s sojourn in Tel Aviv … was more effective than his efforts on the African continent,” Zeitlin wrote to Epstein in September 2018, referring to the diplomatic normalization Epstein and bin Sulayem were quietly cultivating between Israel and the United Arab Emirates years before the Abraham Accords.
Part of the talks were centered on how Zeitlin could wield his influence in Nigeria to help Sulayem secure possible shipping terminals in Lagos after talks with previous Nigerian presidents, since 2005, had led nowhere.
Also, the email correspondence exposed the immense access Epstein and Barak secured within the Nigerian government. In 2013, Barak attended a cybersecurity conference in Abuja, which organizers privately described as a cover to arrange meetings with then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
“The dinner is one other excellent way … to meet with good Friends of Israel and make new friends for Israel as well,” the event organiser wrote to Barak.
The documents further reveal that Epstein coached Barak on how to parlay these security relationships into personal gain. When Barak shared financial details of a potential oil deal, Epstein responded with harsh advice: “I told you on the phone before sending or asking anyone about it you should do your own homework.”
Recall also that in 2013, Nigerian legislators learned of a secret $40 million intelligence contract awarded by Jonathan to Elbit Systems, an Israeli military technology giant, to develop online spying infrastructure.
The House of Representatives threatened to shut it down. Following the threat, Barak received an invitation to speak at a cybersecurity conference in Abuja, in September of the same year, two weeks after Epstein made an impromptu five-day trip to Africa.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges in the U.S, was a financier who cultivated relationships with high-profile business executives, politicians, and academics.
Though he presented himself as a wealth manager to billionaires, the precise source of his fortune remained unclear for years.
He first faced investigation in 2005 over allegations of sexually abusing minors, and, in 2008, pleaded guilty to procuring a minor for prostitution under a controversial plea agreement in Florida.
Epstein was arrested again in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors, but died in a Manhattan jail cell before trial.
Following his death, thousands of court filings, emails, and related documents have continued to surface, shedding light on his global network of financial and political contacts.
