How Former Buhari’s Minister, Sirika Used His Position To Award Contracts To Family Members

Posted by Lawal Munirst on May 11, 2024 0

Sirika was the aviation minister under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

Details have emerged how Hadi Sirika, a former aviation minister used his position to award contracts to his daughter, son-in-law and others.

The information came to light as Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday granted bail to Sirika, his daughter, son-in-law and one other.

The court granted Sirika and others N100m bail and two sureties each in the like sum in six criminal counts bordering on fraud.

Sirika was the aviation minister under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Sirika for alleged fraud.

Detailing the six criminal charges, in a post shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the anti-graft agency stated that Sirika, while being minister of aviation used his position to confer unfair advantage upon “Tianaero Nigeria Limited whose alter ego, Gabriel Tilmann is his associate, by using his position to influence the award to them, the consultancy contract for the Nigeria Air startup and extension of same for the sum of one billion, three hundred and twenty six million, seven hundred and thirty one thousand, four hundred and seventy naira, ninety seven kobo only.

“Hadi Sirika, while being minister of aviation used his position to confer unfair advantage upon Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd whose alter ego, Fatima Hadi Sirika and Jalal Sule Hamma are his daughter and son-in-law respectively, by using his position to influence the award to them, the contract for the apron extension of Katsina airport for the sum of one billion, four hundred and ninety-eight million, three hundred thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira only.

“Hadi Sirika, while being minister of aviation and in such capacity as public officer entrusted with certain capacity the sum of one billion, four hundred and ninety eight million, three hundred thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira only, by being dishonestly connected with the illegal award contract for the apron extension of Katsina airport to and for the benefit of Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd whose alter ego, Fatima Hadi Sirika and Jalal Sule Hamma are his daughter and son-in-law respectively.

“Hadi Sirika, while being minister of aviation, Fatima Hadi Sirika while being a public servant and an employee of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company, NNPC and Jalal Sule Hamma, while a public servant and an employee of Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, did knowing hold indirectly private interest in the contract for the apron extension at Katsina airport for the sum of one billion, four hundred and ninety eight million, three hundred thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira only.

“Fatima Hadi Sirika, Jalal Sule Hamma and Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd had possession of an aggregate sum of one billion, three hundred and ten million, one hundred and forty-two thousand fifty-one naira, fifteen kobo, only which sum they knew represented the proceeds of the criminal conduct of Hadi Sirika who was the minister of aviation at that time.

“Hadi Sirika, while being minister of aviation, as a public officer entrusted with certain property to the sum of one billion, three hundred and twenty-six million, seven hundred and thirty one thousand,four hundred and seventy naira, ninety seven kobo only, being connected to the illegal award of the consultancy contract for the Nigeria Air start-up and extension of same to and for the benefit of Tianaero Nigeria Limited whose alter ego is Gabriel Tilmann is his associate.”

SaharaReporters reported on Thursday that Sirika pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him by the Federal Government.

His daughter and son-in-law also pleaded not guilty to the six-count charges when read to them.

Meanwhile, the trial judge, Justice Oriji, ordered that the defendants must not travel out of the country without the express permission of the court.

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