Defence questions EFCC witness’ evidence on N1.5bn airport contract in ex-minister Sirika’s trial

Former minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika

The evidence presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to support its case of corruption in former Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika’s award of N1.5 billion airport contract to his relatives during his time in office came under scrutiny from the defence on Wednesday.

Testifying as the 16th prosecution witness, EFCC investigator Christopher Odofin faced a torrent of questions under cross-examination by the defence lawyer for Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, a co-defendant awarded the controversial contract.

The company is linked to Mr Sirika’s daughter, Fatima Sirika, and her husband, Jalal Hamma, both whom the EFCC accused of benefitting from the contract awarded on Mr Sirika’s watch as minister.

EFCC is prosecuting the trio of Mr Sirika, Fatima, and Mr Hamma, alongside Buraq Global Investment Limited on an array of charges before the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja.

The six counts brought by the anti-graft agency include the allegation that Mr Sirika used his position as the then-aviation minister, between 2015 and 2023, to confer an unfair advantage through a contract award worth N1.5 billion on Al Buraq Global Investment Limited.

The N1.5 billion contract which the EFCC alleged was corruptly awarded to Al Buraq was the Katsina airport apron extension. Al Baruq is the fourth defendant in the trial.

Also, the anti-graft agency alleged that Fatima and her husband held indirect private interests in the contract, with N1.3 billion allegedly traced to Mr Sirika as proceeds of criminal conduct in the form of gratification.

All defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges, which also include alleged corruption regarding another contract regarding the botched Air Nigeria.

Al Buraq’s lawyer, M.J. Numa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), made efforts to puncture EFCC’s case while cross-examining Mr Odofin on Wednesday.

Mr Numa questioned the thoroughness of EFCC’s investigation into the case, embodied by Mr Odofin’s testimony.

Under cross-examination, the EFCC investigator, a star prosecution witness who has been testifying since 30 June 2025, said he was unaware of the dispute between the Nigerian Air Force, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and the Katsina State Government over the site of the contract awarded to Al Buraq Global Investment Limited at the Katsina airport.

He also admitted that he did not take extrajudicial statements from officers of the Nigerian Air Force, FAAN and the Katsina State Government regarding the dispute.

He also said he was not aware that the dispute stalled Al Buraq’s execution of the project.

Responding to another question from Mr Numa, the investigator said he did not know if the EFCC was aware of the dispute before charging the defendants in court and if the EFCC was furnished with documents regarding the said dispute.

“I am not aware of a dispute between the Air Force and FAAN over the land. I also do not know that the dispute prevented Al Buraq from moving to the site. Also, I don’t know if the contract was re-awarded to Al Buraq and it was asked to move to the site.”

The witness, however, maintained that the contracts for the terminal building and the expansion of the apron at the Katsina airport were one. Mr Odofin said when he opened his testimony about 17 months ago that the former minister split the contracts in favour of his relatives.

However, on Wednesday he confirmed that the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) gave approval for the contracts.

When asked if he knew that Al Buraq had other directors apart from the couple, Mr Odofin replied yes and affirmed that none of the other directors was charged.

Thereafter, the trial judge, Slyvanus Oriji, adjourned the trial until 19 November.

In July 2025, Mr Odofin told the court that Al-Buraq was paid in full for the contract.

A retired director in the Procurement Department, Ministry of Aviation, Musa Odiniyan also stated that contract payments during Mr Sirika’s tenure were fast-tracked to ensure completion before President Muhammadu Buhari left office.

However, earlier this month, Mr Odofin said no land was assigned for the expansion of the apron at Katsina Airport, and that no contract existed for the expansion of the apron for Al Buraq.

In previous proceedings, defence lawyers for Fatima Sirika and her husband, Mr Hamma, confronted Mr Odofin with questions about the couple’s employment to show that they maintained a clean record at their workplaces despite facing charges.

The couple work at separate federal government-owned oil sector organisations. While Ms Sirika works at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, her husband, Mr Hamma works at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

Fielding questions under cross-examination from the couple’s defence lawyers, Christopher Odofin, an EFCC detective testifying as the 16th prosecution witness, said he was not aware of any pending complaints against them at their workplaces.

Apart from seeking to show the couple maintained clean records at work, the defence teams also tried to establish that they were not affiliated to the Ministry of Aviation which is at the centre of the contract-related charges brought up in the trial.