Ex-Aviation Tenders Board chairman, secretary not on trial over N1.4bn contract – EFCC witness

A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Christopher Odofin, admitted on Tuesday on the FCT High Court that the previous Chairman of the Tenders Board of the Federal Ministry of Aviation, Abel Enitan, who awarded the contract for the enlargement of the Katsina Airport Apron Extension, was not put on trial by the anti-graft company.

Enitan was the Permanent Secretary of the Aviation ministry on the time the contract was awarded to Al-Buraq Global Investment Ltd by the Federal Government.

The witness made this identified to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory the place a former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, is being prosecuted by the EFCC on alleged abuse of workplace within the award of contacts.

The witness who was cross examined by Efut Okoi, counsel to the 2nd defendant, Fatima Hadi Sirika, additionally admitted that the Director of Public Procurement, Musa Odiniya, who cleared the award of the contract, was additionally not put on trial by the anti-graft company.

Okoi had requested the EFCC witness whether or not the chairman of the Tenders Board, who signed the contract paper and the director of procurement, who endorsed the method of the contract award, had been going through trial for any wrongdoing in respect of the contract in any courtroom within the nation.

In response, the witness admitted that the 2 prime authorities officers on the time the disputed contract was awarded had been not put on trial.

Answering one other query, the witness admitted that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, now operates as a business entity and that the NNPCL did not file any petition in opposition to any of the defendants on trial.

From the paperwork tendered earlier than the courtroom by the EFCC to determine allegations in opposition to Sirika, the witness admitted that the previous minister was not indicted on the face of the contract papers however that the fee solely put him on trial for alleged abuse of workplace primarily based on the end result of investigation.

Answering questions from one other lawyer, Mr P. A. Adewuyi, the witness additionally admitted that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, did not file any petition in opposition to any of the defendants in respect of the contract award.

When reminded the courtroom that the disputed contract for which Al-Buraq Global Investment Ltd was put on trial by the EFCC has since March 17, 2025 been re-awarded to the identical Al-Buraq Global Investment Ltd by the Federal Government, the witness stated he was not conscious of the event.

Sirika is charged alongside his daughter, Fatima, and son-in-regulation, Hamma Jalal Sule and an organization, Al Buraq Global Investment Limited.

They are being prosecuted by the EFCC earlier than Justice Sylvanus Oriji on a six-depend cost bordering on abuse of workplace and contract fraud.

The former minister, in line with EFCC, abused his workplace as minister by conferring unfair benefit upon Al Buraq Global Investment Limited through the use of his place to affect 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 fastened October 28, 2026, for cross examination of the witness by the 4th defendant, Al-Buraq Global Investment Ltd.