Shell companies played a central role in enabling the West African nation of Niger to enter into arms deals subsidised by the US that totalled about US$1 billion between 2011 and 2019.

But almost a third of that money was funnelled into inflated international arms deals – seemingly designed to allow corrupt officials and brokers to siphon off government funds, according to a confidential government audit obtained by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

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