In the latest twist of events, former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, finds himself embroiled in yet another legal battle, this time alongside his brother Ahmad Abubakar. The duo is set to be arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges of abuse of office related to the awarding of contracts within the aviation ministry.
The EFCC’s decision to arraign Mr. Sirika comes shortly after he, along with his daughter Fatima and her husband, faced similar charges last week. This time, the allegations revolve around fraudulent awards of contracts amounting to billions of naira.
Mr. Sirika, who served as the aviation minister throughout President Muhammadu Buhari’s two terms, is accused of leveraging his position to improperly award contracts to a company with familial ties. Specifically, his daughter and her husband were implicated in the previous case, and now his brother and his company, Enginos Nigeria Limited, are under scrutiny in this fresh investigation.
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The charges against Mr. Sirika and his brother span 18 counts, as revealed by top EFCC officials familiar with the case. Among the allegations is the accusation that Mr. Sirika utilized his ministerial authority to confer undue advantages upon Enginos Nigeria Limited, owned by his brother Ahmad Abubakar. One such instance involves a contract worth N1.3 billion for the construction of a terminal building at Katsina Airport, allegedly awarded in contravention of anti-corruption legislation.
Another count pertains to Mr. Sirika’s alleged interference in the awarding of a contract for the establishment of a fire truck maintenance and refurbishment center at Katsina Airport, valued at N3.8 billion. The prosecution contends that Mr. Sirika unlawfully influenced the contract award, violating the ICPC Act in the process.
Source: Premium Times