By Ken Afor
The immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and his brother, Ahmad Sirika, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of alleged N19.4 billion contract fraud.
The New Diplomat reports that Sirika, his brother, and a company owned by an individual named Abubakar – Enginos Nigeria Limited – were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an amended 10-count charge related to the purported offence.
The anti-graft agency accuses Sirika, a former Member of the House of Representatives and former Senator representing Katsina North Senatorial District in 2011, his brother, and Enginos Nigeria Limited of involvement in a N19.4 billion airport contract fraud scheme.
The charges state: “That you, Hadi Sirika, while being the Minister of Aviation, on or about August 18, 2022, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, did use your position to confer unfair advantage upon Enginos Nigeria Limited, whose alter ego, Ahmad Sirika, is your biological brother, by using your position to influence the award to them, the contract for the construction of a Terminal Building at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1.345 billion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.
“That you, Hadi Sirika, while being Minister of Aviation, on or about November 3, 2022, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, did use your position to confer unfair advantage upon Enginos Nigeria Limited, whose alter ego, Ahmad Sirika, is your blood brother, by using your position to influence the award to them, the contract for the establishment of Fire Truck Maintenance and Refurbishment Centre at Katsina Airport for the sum of N3.811 billion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.
“That you, Hadi Sirika, while being Minister of Aviation, on or about May 5, 2023, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, did use your position to confer unfair advantage upon Enginos Nigeria Limited, whose alter ego, Ahmad Sirika, is your blood brother, by using your position to influence the award to them, the contract for the Procurement and Installation of Lift and Air Conditioners and Power Generators for Aviation House, Abuja for the sum of N615.195 million and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.
“That you, Hadi Sirika, and Enginos Nigeria Limited between August 2022 and May 2023 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, had possession of an aggregate sum of N2.337 billion, which sum you knew indirectly represented the proceeds of the criminal conduct of Ahmad Sirika, who was the Minister of Aviation at the time (to wit: use of office or position for gratification in respect of the said amount), and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and punishable under the same section; and two other charges.”
The New Diplomat recalls that the former federal lawmaker, alongside his daughter, Fatima, following their initial arraignment before Justice Sylvanus Oriji at a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on May 9, 2024, were granted bail of N100 million each.
Sirika, his daughter, and another suspect, Jalal Hamma, along with a company, Al-Duraq Investment Ltd, were accused by the EFCC of an alleged contract fraud amounting to N2.7 billion.
