The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought forth new allegations against former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, along with his brother, Ahmad Sirika, and their company, Enginos Nigeria Limited, regarding a purported fraud totalling over N19.4 billion.
The funds in question are purportedly linked to multiple contracts within the aviation ministry, funnelled from the former minister to Enginos Nigeria Limited, a company owned by Sirika’s younger brother, Abubakar.
The trio—Hadi Sirika, Ahmad Sirika, and Enginos Nigeria Limited—are scheduled to appear before Justice Belgore of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday for arraignment.
In the copy of the fresh charges, the EFCC alleged that Sirika, “while being the Minister of Aviation, on or about August 18, 2022, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did use your position to confer an unfair advantage upon Enginos Nigeria Limited, whose alter ego, Ahmad Abubakar Sirika, is your biological brother, by using your position to influence the award to him, the contract for the construction of a terminal building at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1,345,586,500.00.”
The anti-corruption agency alleges that Sirika’s purported actions violate Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, subjecting them to prosecution under the same section.
In another count, the EFCC alleged that “on or about November 3, 2022, in Abuja,” Sirika used his position “to confer unfair advantage upon Enginos Nigeria Limited, whose alter ego, Ahmad Abubakar Sirika, is your biological brother, by using your position to influence the award to him, the contract for the establishment of Fire Truck Maintenance and Refurbishment Centre at Katsina Airport for the sum of N3,811,497,685.00.”
In another count, he was accused of corruptly awarding a N615,195,275.00 contract to his brother, to procure and install lift and air conditioners and power generators for the Aviation House in Abuja.
The EFCC alleged that Sirika, between August 2022 and May 2023 in Abuja, “had possession of an aggregate sum of N2,337, 840,674.16, which sum you knew indirectly represented the proceeds of criminal conducts of Hadi Abubakar Sirika, who was the Minister of Aviation at the time.”
