James Aluneh
The trial of a former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, continued on Wednesday before Justice S.C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.
The 12th Prosecution Witness, Christopher Odofin, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, testified that Sirika violated due process in the award of contracts for the Nigeria Air project.
Odofin told the court that the first contract, valued at N299 million, was awarded to Tianaero Nigeria Limited for consultancy services on April 4, 2022. He said the Ministry of Aviation had written to the Bureau of Public Procurement on March 7, 2022, seeking a Certificate of No Objection to engage consultants. The BPP responded on April 6, 2022, and the response was received by the ministry on April 7, 2022 – three days after the contract had already been awarded.
The witness further testified that a second contract, valued at N599 million for contract extension, was awarded to the same company on April 6, 2022, without any reference to the BPP.
Odofin also disclosed that Tianaero Nigeria Limited was incorporated on March 29, 2021, barely one year before the contracts were awarded. He identified the owner of the company as Gabriel Tilmann, a German national, whom he described as a close associate of the former minister.
The court heard that both contracts were fully paid. The first was settled in four tranches between May 1 and July 22, 2022, into the company’s Access Bank account, while the second was paid in two instalments between October and December 2022 through its Guaranty Trust Bank account.
According to the witness, nothing has materialised from the Nigeria Air project despite the payments.
An audio recording containing what the prosecution described as Sirika’s verbal instruction to the Permanent Secretary to ensure the contracts were awarded to Tianaero Nigeria Limited was scheduled to be played in court but was deferred due to technical glitches.
Sirika is facing prosecution alongside his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika; son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule; and Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, on amended six-count charges bordering on abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of over N2 billion. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Justice Oriji adjourned the matter until July 8 and 9, 2026, for continuation of trial.
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