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A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has narrated how Hadi Sirika, former minister of aviation, awarded contracts to his relatives during his tenure as a cabinet member.”
The EFCC had, on May 9, arraigned Sirika alongside his daughter, Fatima Sirika, her husband, Jalal Sule Hamma, and their company, Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd and brother, Hamad Sirika, before the federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Maitama.”
The former minister is accused of abusing his office by awarding contracts to a company in which both his daughter and her husband have ownership interests.”
Testifying as the 12th prosecution witness on Tuesday, Christopher Odofin, an EFCC investigating officer, told the court that the contract for the terminal building and apron expansion at Katsina Airport was classified as a single contract by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).”
However, the witness said Sirika split the contract into two parts — awarding one to Enginos Nigeria Limited for N1.3 billion, and the other to Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd for N1.4 billion.”
He explained that despite being an employee of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Fatima, the second defendant, served as the secretary of Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd and owned 50 percent of the company’s shares.”
Odofin further revealed that her husband, the third defendant, who was also a federal government employee, owned the remaining 50 percent shares.”
While the two are public servants, they incorporated and owned the fourth defendant and also used the fourth defendant to get government contracts in the federal ministry of aviation, where the second defendant’s father and the third defendant’s father-in-law was the minister,” the witness said.
The witness told the court that after awarding the apron expansion contract to the fourth defendant on November 14, 2022, the ministry of aviation, under Sirika’s leadership, paid N1.3 billion (after tax deductions) into the company’s Zenith Bank account, representing full payment of the contract sum.”
He stated that the 100 percent payment was made solely based on the approval of Sirika, who was the serving minister at the time.”
The witness disclosed that after receiving the payment, N182 million was transferred in batches to the personal account of the third defendant, while N110 million was moved to his fixed deposit account.”
Furthermore, upon the payment of N1.3 billion, the sum of N7.4 million was transferred to the personal account of the second defendant in Jaiz Bank; N8.2 million was transferred to the salary account of the third defendant in Access Bank Plc; and N500 million was moved to Trimak Engineering Services Ltd, which was not used for the apron expansion project but instead for another contract awarded to Trimak by a different government agency,” the witness said.
According to Odofin, out of the total N1.3 billion contract sum, over N549 million remains in the company’s account, which is currently subject to an interim forfeiture order.”
The witness also revealed that additional transfers were made to individuals and companies unrelated to the apron expansion project.”
Asked about the status of the contract, the witness responded, ‘Nothing has been done.’”
Meanwhile, the presiding judge, Sylvanus Oriji, ordered a trial-within-a-trial to determine whether the statements made by the second and third defendants to the EFCC were given voluntarily.”
The judge issued the order following objections from all the defence counsel after the prosecution attempted to tender the statements through the 12th witness.”
He subsequently adjourned the case until October 27 for the commencement of the trial-within-trial.”
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