The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed how former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, allegedly borrowed an aircraft from Ethiopian Airlines for just 72 hours to create the illusion that Nigeria Air had been launched before the end of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Testifying before an FCT High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, EFCC’s 12th prosecution witness, Christopher Odofin, detailed a charter agreement that exposed the now-infamous unveiling as a temporary “static display” rather than the birth of a national carrier.
According to the witness, the agreement with Ethiopian Airlines stipulated that an aircraft would arrive from Addis Ababa on the morning of 27 May 2023. It was to remain on the tarmac at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport for static display, sporting a freshly painted Nigeria Air logo, until 28 May 2023.
“The aircraft will leave ABV airport early morning on 29 May 2023,” Mr Odofin read from the contract.
He further testified that the plane was operated by Ethiopian Airlines crew wearing their own uniforms. Only local models were dressed in Nigeria Air uniforms for ceremonial photographs.
“Less than 72 hours after the display of the aircraft, the Nigeria Air logo was removed from the aircraft and flown back to Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa,” the witness told the court.
Contract Awarded to Minister’s Associate
The EFCC is prosecuting Mr Sirika alongside his daughter, Fatima Sirika, her husband, Jalal Hamma, and their firm, Al Buraq Global Investment, on six counts of contract fraud involving N2.8 billion.
The court heard that the contract for the botched airline project was awarded to Tanaero Nigeria Limited (TNL), a company belonging to Mr Sirika’s close friend, Gabriel Tilmann. A contract initially valued at over N299 million in April 2022 was later extended on Mr Sirika’s instructions, pushing the total to more than N599 million.
Voice Note Evidence
Mr Odofin also told the court that investigators analysed a voice note attributed to Mr Sirika, sent from Spain to a permanent secretary in the ministry, insisting that the contract be awarded to TNL.
The EFCC tendered a compact disc containing the voice note and requested that it be played at the next court hearing.
Background of the Controversy
The purported unveiling of Nigeria Air in May 2023 was met with immediate skepticism. Just weeks earlier, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had rejected the airline’s application for an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), citing inadequate preparations.
Local airline operators had also protested Ethiopian Airlines’ proposed 49 per cent stake in the project, arguing that domestic carriers were better positioned to manage a national airline.
Trial judge Slyvanus Oriji has adjourned the case until 10 June.
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