How Ex-Minister Sirika Funneled N2.8 Billion Aviation Contract to Son-in-Law’s Unqualified Company

A witness for the prosecution stated on Monday that Hadi Sirika, the former Minister of Aviation, awarded the contract for the repairs of Katsina Airport to companies that were not qualified during his time in office. Musa Odiniyan, a retired director from the Procurement Department of the Ministry of Aviation, shared this information while testifying as the fifth prosecution witness (PW5) in Mr. Sirika’s corruption trial at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Mr. Sirika along with three others, including his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika, on six amended counts of contract fraud totaling N2.8 billion. The other defendants include Fatima’s husband, Jalal Hamma, and Al Buraq Global Investment. 

Mr. Odiniyan identified Al Buraq Global Investment, which is connected to Mr. Sirika’s daughter and son-in-law, as the company that received the airport repairs contract despite lacking the necessary qualifications. During cross-examination by the lawyer for the fourth defendant, Michael Numa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the witness asserted that the company would not have been eligible if a fair and competitive bidding process had taken place. “We use specific criteria to determine which companies are awarded contracts. I maintain that if there had been an open competitive bidding process, Al Buraq may not have qualified,” he stated. 

The Nation reported that the witness elaborated that the aviation ministry paid the full contract amount to ensure the project was completed and inaugurated by former President Buhari before he left office. “The purpose of that payment was to ensure the project was executed and commissioned before the former president’s departure. It was not for any variations. The accounting officer sought funding from all relevant sources to bring the project to fruition. The N800 million is a budgetary allocation to support the project’s implementation,” he explained.

The defense team is diligently attempting to contradict Mr. Odiniyan’s testimony regarding the roles of Mr. Sirika in the awarding of contracts. In their efforts, they tendered statements made by Mr. Odiniyan to the EFCC, as well as records from a separate criminal case involving both Mr. Sirika and his brother, Ahmad Sirika, which is currently before another FCT High Court judge, Suleiman Belgore.

Earlier in the proceedings on Friday, Mr. Odiniyan testified that Mr. Sirika was responsible for giving the final approval for contracts before the Ministerial Tenders Board (MTB) could issue any letters of the award. He stated, “For the letter of award to be issued, the minister had to give the final approval. There were projects he did not approve, and letters of award were not issued, meaning they were not implemented.” This statement underscores the critical role that ministerial approval plays in the execution of contracts.

Mr. Odiniyan further elaborated that no contract could be executed without the minister’s approval, reinforcing the notion that “Without approval, you cannot execute a contract.” He added that the minister indeed approved the implementation of the MTB’s recommendations, which highlights the significant authority held by the minister in these processes.

The trial judge, Sylvanus Oriji, has adjourned the case until March 10 for the continuation of the cross-examination, indicating that the proceedings will continue to unfold. This trial is particularly noteworthy as it follows the arrest of Mr. Sirika by the EFCC in May 2024 on charges related to fraudulent contract awards amounting to billions of naira.

Mr. Sirika, who served as the aviation minister during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, faces serious allegations of abusing his office by awarding contracts to a company in which his daughter and son-in-law have vested interests. The case includes six counts against him, his daughter, his son-in-law, and their company, Al-Duraq Investment Limited.

The charges assert that Mr. Sirika used his position to confer an unfair advantage upon Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, which is linked to his family members, specifically, Fatima Hadi Sirika and Jalal Sule Hamma. This was allegedly done by influencing the award of a contract for the Apron Extension at Katsina Airport, valued at N1,498,300,750.

Moreover, the prosecution claims that Fatima and her husband held indirect private interests in this contract, an action that allegedly violates Section 12 of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Act. The EFCC has also alleged that Fatima, who works for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), along with Mr. Hamma, an employee of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), was found in possession of N1.3 billion, which has been traced back to Mr. Sirika as proceeds of criminal conduct in the form of gratification.

All defendants, including Mr. Sirika and his family members, have pleaded not guilty to the charges, setting the stage for what promises to be a complex and closely watched legal battle in the coming months.