The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will today, arraign former minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, his brother, Ahmad Sirika and a company, Enginos Nigeria Limited, over alleged N10 billion airport contract fraud.
The arraignment comes barely a week after the anti-graft agency slammed similar charges on Hadi Sirika, his daughter, Fatima, and son-in-law, Jalal and another company, Al Buraq.
In particular, the former minister is to explain to Justice Belgore of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, why he awarded the huge contracts to his brother and company and conferred proceeds of crimes to his family without worrying about the crime and why he, his brother and the company should not be penalised in accordance with relevant laws of Nigeria.
Part of the charges reads: “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 N1.345billion 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.”
Count two reads: “That you Hadi Sirika, while being Minister of Aviation, on or about 3d November, 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 N3.811billion 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.”
Count three reads: “That you Hadi Sirika, while being Minister of Aviation, on or about 5 May 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.”
Count four reads: “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 criminal conducts 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.”
