Head Of Service Not On Trial With Sirika Over N1.4bn Contract – EFCC Witness

Concerns that the former chairman of the Tenders Board of the Federal Ministry of Aviation, Mr Abel Enitan, now the Head of Service of the Federation, who awarded the contract for the expansion of the Katsina Airport Apron Extension, was not put on trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have been addressed.

A witness of the commission, Mr Christopher Odofin admitted before an FCT High Court on Tuesday that Enitan is not before the court for trial.

Enitan was the permanent secretary of the Aviation Ministry at the time the contract was awarded to Al-Buraq Global Investment Ltd by the federal government.

He admitted that the permanent secretary and director of Procurement are both not standing trial, even though they are responsible for all matters of procurement and the contract award.

The EFCC Witness said that the former minister of Aviation, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, his daughter, Fatima and son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule and a company, Al Buraq Global Investment Limited are the ones being prosecuted by the EFCC.

The EFCC official disclosed to the court where Sirika is being prosecuted by the EFCC on alleged abuse of office in the award of contacts.

Odofin who was crossexamined by Efut Okoi, counsel to the 2nd defendant, Fatima Hadi Sirika, said the director of Public Procurement, Musa Odiniya, who cleared the award of the contract was also not put on trial by the anti-graft agency.

Okoi had asked the witness whether the chairman of the Tenders Board who signed the contract paper and the director of Procurement, who endorsed the deal were facing trial for any wrong doing in respect of the contract in any court in the country.

In response, the Odofin admitted that the two top government officials at the time the disputed contract was awarded were not put on trial.

Answering another question, the witness admitted that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) now operates as a commercial entity and that the NNPCL did not file any petition against any of the defendants on trial.

From the documents tendered before the court by the EFCC to establish allegations against the former minister, the witness said that the former minister was not indicted on the face of the contract papers but that the commission only put him on trial for alleged abuse of office based on the outcome of investigation.

Answering questions from another lawyer, Mr P. A. Adewuyi, the witness also admitted that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), did not file any petition against any of the defendant in respect of the contract award.

When reminded that the disputed contract for which Al-Buraq Global Investment Ltd was put on trial by EFCC has since March 17, 2025 been re-awarded to the same Al-Buraq Global Investment Ltd by the federal government, the witness said he was not aware of the development.

Sirika is charged alongside his daughter, Fatima and son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule and a company, Al Buraq Global Investment Limited.

They are being prosecuted by EFCC, before Justice Sylvanus Oriji on a six-count charge bordering on abuse of office and contract fraud.

The former minister, according to EFCC, abused his office as minister by conferring unfair advantage upon Al Buraq Global Investment Limited by using his position to influence the award of the contract for the apron extension at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1,498,300,750.

Meanwhile, Justice Sylvanus Oriji has fixed October 28, for the cross examination of the witness by the 4th defendant, Al-Buraq Global Investment Ltd.