ABUJA, NIGERIA (ChatnewsTV) — A Nigerian real estate firm has been named in connection with a series of deadly explosions that left dozens dead and thousands injured in Lebanon this week. The attacks, which Hezbollah has blamed on Israel, involved pagers used by members of the Shia militant group. Explosions on 17 and 18 September 2024 killed at least 37 people, including two children, and injured nearly 3,000, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Investigative platform Bellingcat has uncovered a link between PDConsult, a Nigerian farming and real estate company, and the firm BAC Consulting, which supplied the pagers that detonated. PDConsult was named in a suspicious LinkedIn profile of Eric Hansen, BAC’s purported Business Development Manager. The explosions, which occurred in Hezbollah strongholds such as Haret Hreik, have sparked outrage and prompted Hezbollah’s leader to call the attacks “a declaration of war.”
The explosions began on Tuesday 17th September, when pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated simultaneously, killing 12 people. On Wednesday the 18th, a second wave of coordinated blasts from handheld radios killed another 25 people. Videos posted online showed horrific scenes of bloodied victims and widespread damage, with some people losing fingers and sustaining severe injuries to their arms and faces.
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel, which has not officially commented on the attacks. However, the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) Chief of Staff hinted at further action, stating in a video that Israel has “many more capabilities” to deploy against Hezbollah.
The involvement of BAC Consulting, a Hungarian firm, has drawn international attention. BAC’s CEO, Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, denied any wrongdoing, claiming her company only acted as an intermediary. “I don’t make the pagers. I am just the intermediate,” she told reporters. However, Bellingcat’s investigation into Eric Hansen, listed as a business manager for BAC since 2020, has raised further questions.
Hansen’s LinkedIn profile lists several dubious connections, including PDC Consultancy in Nigeria, which does not appear to exist outside of LinkedIn. Despite claiming to be an investment firm based in Denmark, no records of PDC Consultancy can be found in the Danish Central Business Registry. Bellingcat also found inconsistencies in Hansen’s educational and employment history, raising suspicions about the role of BAC Consulting and its Nigerian links in the attack.
The New York Times, citing intelligence sources, reported that BAC Consulting may have acted as part of an Israeli front, tampering with the pagers before they reached Lebanon.
As Lebanon grapples with the fallout from these devastating attacks, attention is shifting to unravel the complex network of international business dealings behind the tragedy, including Nigeria’s PDConsult and its connections to BAC Consulting.
By Gabriel Ani
