23rd April, 2024
Hadi Sirika, former Nigerian Aviation Minister is currently being grilled by investigators of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja over alleged N8bn money laundering.
Sirika was said to have honoured an invitation of the EFCC on Tuesday as he arrived the Abuja office of the commission where he was taken into custody for questioning.
It was learnt that the former minister is currently meeting with EFCC investigators to answer questions on alleged fraudulent contracts awarded by him to a company known as Engirios Nigeria Limited, owned by his younger sibling, Abubakar Sirika.
An EFCC source told the Punch that “Sirika was taken into our FCT custody. He is currently meeting with EFCC investigators over the alleged N8,069,176,864.00 aviation ministry contract fraud.”
Another source alleged that the N8,069,176,864.00 aviation ministry contract fraud was carried out in connivance with his younger brother, Abubakar, through the latter’s company.
Massive fraud in the aviation sector led President Bola Tinubu to sack the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed; Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr. Tayib Adetunji Odunowo; Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Engr. Akinola Olateru; Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu and the Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Capt. Alkali Mahmud Modibbo.
Tinubu also suspended the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Shuaibu Nuhu.
Nuhu was suspended from office to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct an unfettered investigation into the activities of the suspended Director-General and other senior officials in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.