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The 12th prosecution witness in the trial of former Aviation Minister, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, on Wednesday told Justice S. C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja how Sirika allegedly presented an aircraft owned by Ethiopian Airlines as the promised Nigeria Air project of the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the EFCC alleged that the “decoy aircraft, adorned with the livery of the promised Nigeria Air,” appeared on the tarmac of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on 27 May 2023, just three days before the Buhari administration left office.
The agency stated that the aircraft returned to Addis Ababa on the morning of 29 May 2023, the day power transferred to the new administration.
“Hadi Sirika is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on amended six-count charges bordering on alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of over ₦2 billion, alongside his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika, son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule, and Al Buraq Global Investment Limited.
“The contract for the setting up of Nigeria Air was awarded to Tianaero Nigeria Limited, belonging to Gabriel Tilmann, a close associate and friend of the former minister,” the EFCC statement signed by its Head, Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, partly read.
While referring to part of the contract agreement with Ethiopian Airlines, the witness, an EFCC investigator, said:
“The aircraft will depart from Addis Ababa (ADD) late evening of May 26, 2023, for it to be positioned early morning of May 27, 2023, at the Abuja (ABV) airport.
“The aircraft will stay in ABV airport for static display of Nigeria Air livery until May 28, 2023. The aircraft will leave ABV airport early morning on May, 29, 2023. The chartered flight will be operated by the Ethiopian Airline crew in Ethiopian Airline uniform.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria and Nigeria Air may put together local models who will be in Nigeria Air uniforms to pose for ceremonial pictures. The models may come to Addis Ababa so they may fly with the chartered flight to ABV.”
According to the EFCC, the witness informed the court that officials deliberately timed the aircraft’s display at Abuja International Airport to coincide with the end of Sirika’s tenure as Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development on 29 May 2023 and to create the impression that the Nigeria Air project had become a reality.
The witness further stated that, after the aircraft remained on display for less than 72 hours, operators removed the Nigeria Air branding and flew it back to Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa.
“The witness further disclosed that the investigating team was also able to ascertain that Ethiopian Airlines entered into a charter arrangement for the static display of the Nigeria Air livery for a duration of just three days, beginning from May 27 to May 29, 2023 based on information and documents received from the airline following a letter from it, dated June 12, 2023, in response to the EFCC’s request for information regarding Nigeria Air, and that though the purpose of the contract was for the establishment of Nigeria Air, the charter agreement with Ethiopian Airlines was entered on May 24, 2023, five days to the expiration of the defendant’s tenure for just a static display of the Nigeria Air logo on an aircraft.
“All the documents tendered in evidence by the prosecution were shown to have been duly signed, authorised, and accompanied by certificates of identification and were not objected to by any of the counsels to the four defendants,” the EFCC stated.
The agency added that the prosecution tendered a compact disc containing a voice note allegedly from Hadi Sirika, marked as Exhibit 37. Prosecuting counsel requested that the court play the recording at the next hearing.
The witness also told the court that although authorities awarded the Nigeria Air start-up contract worth more than ₦299 million to Tianaero Nigeria Limited on 4 April 2022, they later approved an extension on 17 October 2022, increasing the contract value to over ₦599 million on the instructions of the first defendant because of his relationship with the company’s principal figure.
“According to him, ‘The investigating team arrived at this position when the phone of one Enitan Muyiwa Abel, who was a Permanent Secretary in the first defendant’s ministry, was analysed, showing a voice note sent to the Permanent Secretary while the first defendant was in Spain instructing him to ensure that the contract was awarded to Tianaero Nigeria Limited.’
Justice Oriji adjourned the case until 17 June 2026 for the continuation of the trial.
