How Buhari’s ex-minister‘paid’ N1.3bn to daughter’s firm for unexecuted aviation contract – EFCC witness

A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has narrated how Hadi Sirika, former minister of aviation, awarded contracts to his relatives when he was a cabinet member.

The EFCC on May 9, arraigned Sirika alongside his daughter, Fatima, and her husband, Jalal Sule Hamma, as well as their company, Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd, at the federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Maitama.

The ex-minister is accused of abusing his office by awarding contracts to a company in which his daughter and husband retain interest.

Testifying as the 12th prosecution witness on Tuesday, Christopher Odofin, an investigating officer with the EFCC, told the court that the contract for the terminal building and apron expansion at the Katsina airport was a single contract as designated by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

However, the witness said Sirika split the contract in two, awarding one part to Enginos Nigeria Limited at N1.3 billion and the other part to Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd at N1.4 billion.

He said despite being a staff member of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Fatima, the second defendant, was the secretary of Al Buraq Global Investment Limited and owned half of the company’s shares.

Odofin added that her husband, the third defendant – who was also employed by the federal government – owned the other half of the company’s 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 also told the court that after the award of the apron expansion contract to the fourth defendant on November 14, 2022, the ministry of aviation under the leadership of Sirika paid N1.3 billion with some fractions after tax to the Zenith Bank account of the company, representing 100 percent payment of the contract sum.

He said the payment of 100 percent contract sum was solely based on the approval of Sirika, who was the sitting minister of aviation at the time.

He also disclosed that upon the receipt of payment, N182 million was transferred on different dates to the personal account of the third defendant, with N110 million transferred to a fixed deposit account belonging to the third defendant.

“Furthermore, upon 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 transferred to Trimak Engineering Services Ltd and was never utilised for the contract but was expended on another contract awarded to Trimak Engineering Services Ltd from other agencies of the government,” the witness said.

According to the witness, out of the total contract sum of N1.3 billion paid, over N549 million is still in the company’s account, which has an interim injunction placed on it.

The witness further revealed that there were other transfers to individuals and companies unconnected to the execution of the apron expansion contract.

Asked about the status of the contract, the witness said, “Nothing has been done.”

Meanwhile, Sylvanus Oriji, the presiding judge, ordered a trial-within-a-trial to ascertain the voluntariness of the statements made by the second and third defendants to the EFCC.

The judge made the order following objections raised by all counsel for the defendants while the prosecution sought to tender the statements through the 12th witness.

He adjourned until October 27 for the commencement of the trial-within-trial.