Former Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika gave “questionable” contracts to his family and a friend while in office, an investigator told a court in Abuja on Thursday.
Christopher Odofin, a detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), appeared as a witness in Mr Sirika’s corruption trial. He spoke while answering questions from defence lawyer Kanu Agabi.
He pointed out irregularities in the contracts. These included forcing contractors on the ministry and breaking the approval limits set for the minister.
Holding a contract document given to him by Mr Agabi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Odofin called the contract award questionable. He said Mr Sirika approved the contract for his associate “beyond his threshold.”
“He also awarded a contract to a company owned by his daughter,” the 12th prosecution witness said.
The EFCC is charging Mr Sirika, his daughter Fatima Sirika, her husband Jalal Hamma, and their firm, Al Buraq Global Investment, over contracts he allegedly wrongfully awarded to them and an associate.
One count claims the former minister committed “criminal breach of trust” by being involved in the illegal award of a N1.5 billion contract for the apron extension at Katsina Airport for the benefit of his daughter and Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd.
Another count alleges that he was “dishonestly connected with the illegal award” of the Katsina airport contract benefiting his daughter and son-in-law.
The EFCC also accused Mr Sirika of giving unfair advantage to his friend Gabriel Tilmann’s Tianaero Nigeria Limited by using his position to award a consultancy contract for the Nigerian Air start-up worth N1.3 billion.
Another charge claims the former aviation minister was dishonestly linked to the “illegal” awarding of the N1.3 billion consultancy contract for the Nigerian Air national carrier start-up.
The last government of President Muhammadu Buhari launched the national carrier just days before handing over in May 2023. However, this was later found to be misleading.
Mr Sirika allegedly disguised an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft as Nigeria’s national carrier. Mr Odofin said this in his testimony, which started on June 30, 2025, over a year ago.
Mr Sirika and his co-defendants have denied all charges.
But Mr Odofin said during cross-examination on Thursday that while nothing in the Air Nigeria consultancy services contract directly implicated Mr Sirika, the award was based on his recommendation.
“There is nothing implicating the first defendant on the face of the document, but the contract was awarded based on the recommendation of the first defendant (Mr Sirika),” Mr Odofin said.
The witness stated that Musa Odiniya, the Director of Procurement who testified earlier as the fifth prosecution witness, should not have signed the document.
He added that while Mr Sirika was not part of the Ministerial Tenders Board (MTB), Abel Enitan, the ministry’s permanent secretary, led the board.
Despite this, “Al Buraq was imposed on the Tender Board to be selected as a contractor. The first defendant imposed the company. They were forced to follow the first defendant’s bidding.”
When Al Buraq got the contract, Mr Enitan was the CEO and accounting officer of the aviation ministry, the witness noted. Similarly, Mr Odiniya, who led procurement, did not show any document saying he was blocked from doing his job.
Answering questions from Fatima Sirika’s lawyer, Efut Okoi, the witness confirmed that Ms Sirika was not the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Al Buraq Global Investment Limited.
The witness stated that no land was given for the apron expansion at Katsina airport, and there was no contract for Al Buraq to expand the apron.
When asked if he took statements from officers of the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Airport Authority, and Katsina State Government about the apron expansion, the witness said no.
Mr Odiniya earlier testified that the contract payments during Mr Sirika’s time were rushed to ensure the project was completed and inaugurated before former President Buhari left office.
Mr Odiniya also said that Al Buraq, linked to Mr Sirika’s son-in-law and co-defendant, was unqualified and would not have won the contract in a fair bidding process.
Mr Odofin confirmed that the EFCC finished its investigations in April 2026.
He stated that his role is limited to investigating, filing reports, and coming to court to testify.
A voice note linked to Mr Sirika was important in two earlier hearings. The EFCC claimed this voice showed Mr Sirika’s verbal instructions to Mr Enitan, the then-permanent secretary of the aviation ministry, to give the contract to Mr Tilmann.
On Thursday, Mr Odofin explained he did not prepare the digital forensic report used to file the charges. He said it was prepared by Bello Gideon.
He added that the phone, an Infinix X pro model belonging to Mr Enitan from which the voice note was taken, was not in court.
After that, the trial judge, Slyvanus Oriji, postponed the case until October 20 for more cross-examination.
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