A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has heard a voice note which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleges captured former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, directing that a consultancy contract linked to the Nigeria Air project be awarded to a friend’s company.
The recording, played in open court during Sirika’s ongoing N2.8 billion corruption trial before Justice Sylvanus Oriji, allegedly contained the former minister instructing the then Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, Enitan Abel, to facilitate the contract award.
“Do the right thing. Generate the necessary contract and give it to his company. In that way, we can be paying for his services”, the speaker in the recording said.
Mr Sirika, who is standing trial alongside his daughter, Fatima Sirika, her husband, Jalal Hamma, and their company, Al Buraq Global Investment, has pleaded not guilty to six counts bordering on abuse of office and contract fraud.
EFCC investigator, Christopher Odofin, the 12th prosecution witness, identified the voice as Sirika’s and said the company referred to was Tanaero Nigeria Limited (TNL), owned by Gabriel Tilmann, whom he described as the former minister’s friend. The consultancy contract related to the controversial Nigeria Air project unveiled by the outgoing Muhammadu Buhari administration in May 2023 but which never took off.
The compact disc containing the recording, earlier tendered but not played due to technical issues, was admitted in evidence after the defence reserved its objection until the final address.
In the recording, the speaker described Tilmann as an experienced aviation professional who had helped establish several airlines and urged the permanent secretary to award him the contract. “Whatever we can get, he’s quite resourceful and very energetic… So he has what it takes”, the voice said.
The speaker also said Tilmann felt “very comfortable with the ministry” because of him and disclosed plans to attach someone to guide him on how consultancy work is done in Nigeria to ensure “he doesn’t overprice us”.
Odofin told the court that Mr Sirika later assigned his cousin, Yasir, to assist Tilmann in executing the consultancy contract.
During the proceedings, defence counsel Michael Numa (SAN) objected to questions suggesting ministry officials disliked Mr Tilmann because of his relationship with Mr Sirika, describing them as speculative and intended to fuel media reports. Jalal Hamma’s lawyer, Sanusi Mohammed, also expressed concern about what he called “media trial”, Justice Oriji, however, urged the defence to focus on the proceedings before the court.
Under cross-examination by former Attorney-General of the Federation Kanu Agabi (SAN) Mr Odofin admitted that documents from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) did not show that Mr Sirika induced the permanent secretary to seek approval for the procurement process. He also agreed that the BPP’s response did not mention Sirika and that the approvals granted by the former minister were within his official powers, while maintaining that it was not his responsibility to decide who should be charged.
Justice Oriji adjourned further hearing until Thursday.
