By Adedapo Adesanya
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged former Minister of Aviation under the Mr Muhammadu Buhari administration, Mr Hadi Sirika, his brother, Mr Ahmad Sirika; and his company – Enginos Nigeria Limited, with over N19.4 billion fraud.
The sum is said to be for several aviation ministry contracts from the former minister to Enginos Nigeria Limited, owned by Mr Sirika’s younger brother.
The Sirika brothers and Enginos Nigeria Limited will be arraigned before Justice Belgore of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Garki, Abuja.
In the copy of the fresh charges, the EFCC alleged that Mr Sirika, “while being the Minister of Aviation, on or about 18th August 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.”
According to the EFCC, Sirika’s alleged action violated Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and was punishable under the same section.
In another count, the EFCC alleged that “on or about 3rd of November, 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 Mr 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.”
Recall that last week, Mr Sirika has pleaded not guilty to the alleged corrupt practices involving about N2.7 billion brought against him by the Federal Government and was granted N100 million alongside his daughter, Fatima, his son-in-law, Jalal Sule Hamma, and a firm – Al Buraq Global Investment Limited by Justice Sylvanus Oriji at the Federal High Court in Abuja.