Hadi Sirika, former aviation minister, awarded multi-billion naira aviation contracts to his family members while he held sway as minister.
EFCC alleged the fraud added up to N2.7 billion, and the perpetrators did it in the Nigerian Air Project.
Sirika now faces six counts of abusing his office, according to court documents.
The EFCC accused him of giving undue advantage to some companies between April 2022 and March 2023 in Abuja.
He allegedly awarded a N1.3bn consultancy contract for the Nigerian Air Start-up to Tianero Nigeria Limited.
The commission said the ex-minister acted contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Sirika, the commission also alleged, used his position to ‘confer unfair advantage upon Al Buraq Global Investment Limited. The company promoters are Fatima Hadi Sirika and Jalal Sule Hamma, his daughter and son-in-law respectively”.
Above all, the EFCC said Hadi Sirika did these“while being the Minister of Aviation and in such capacity as a public officer.
In April, Sirika came in for interrogation, and he remained in the commission’s custody for a while.
This time, the former minister, his daughter , and his son-in-law will be standing trial before the FCT High Court Justice Sylvanus Orji.
Months ago, the House Committee on Aviation called for prosecution of those involved in the project. The call followed the unveiling of the Nigerian Airline whose first aircraft belonged to the Ethiopian Airline.
The initial fraud allegation stood in the region of N8 billion. But top officials of the ministry said there was no unveiling yet because the necessary certification had not been completed.
According to them, the total amount the ministry had spent on the projects didn’t exceed N3.8 billion.
The project had been part of the former administration’s effort to establish a national carrier for Nigeria.
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