ABUJA, Nigeria — Hadi Sirika, the immediate past Minister of Aviation, is set to be arraigned before Justice Sylvanus Oriji at the Federal High Court in Abuja today, Thursday, May 9, 2024, on charges related to a N2.7 billion contract fraud.
The allegations centre around financial irregularities during his tenure in the ministry.
Sirika will be appearing in court alongside three other defendants: his daughter Fatima Sirika, Jalal Hamma, and Al-Duraq Investment Ltd.
They are accused of abusing their office by engaging in acts of money laundering involving substantial sums earmarked for aviation contracts.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which has been conducting a thorough investigation into the case, detailed the charges as stemming from fraudulent contract awards by the ministry while Sirika was at the helm.
According to the EFCC, the ex-minister and his co-defendants exploited their positions for illicit financial gains, significantly impacting the integrity of the ministry’s operations.
This legal action follows a detailed probe by the EFCC, which led to Sirika’s detention on April 23 in Abuja after he responded to a summon at the commission’s Zonal office in Wuse 2.
“The former minister was invited for questioning by investigators handling the alleged contract frauds under his watch in the ministry. He honoured the invitation and has been detained as I am talking with you,” an anonymous source at the EFCC told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The arraignment, initially scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed due to the EFCC’s request to amend the charges.
This legal proceeding marks Sirika’s first trial appearance, bringing significant public and media attention to the case. As the court date approaches, all eyes will be on the Federal High Court in Abuja to see the unfolding of this high-profile case.
