Sirika Trial: EFCC Witness Says Ex-Minister Breached Due Process in N898m Nigeria Air Contracts  

By Joseph Sunday 

The trial of former Aviation Minister, Hadi Abubakar Sirika resumed on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, with an EFCC investigator telling the court that Sirika bypassed due process in awarding contracts worth N898 million to Tianaero Nigeria Limited for Nigeria Air consultancy services.

Christopher Odofin, the 12th Prosecution Witness, testified before Justice S.C. Oriji that Sirika awarded a N299 million contract to Tianaero on April 4, 2022 — two days before the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, responded to the ministry’s request for a Certificate of No Objection. The BPP’s response, dated April 6, 2022, was only received by the Ministry on April 7. 

Odofin added that Sirika later awarded a second contract worth N599 million to the same firm on April 6, 2022, without notifying the BPP at all. “The BPP was completely kept in the dark regarding the first defendant’s award of the contract extension,” he said.

Sirika is standing trial alongside his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika; son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule, and Al Buraq Global Investment Limited on amended six-count charges of abuse of office and misappropriation of over N2 billion.

According to Odofin, Tianaero Nigeria Limited is owned by Gabriel Tilmann, a German national described as a close friend and associate of the former minister. The company was incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission on March 29, 2021 — barely a year before it secured the contracts.

The witness told the court that both contracts were paid in full. The first N299 million was disbursed in four tranches between May 1 and July 22, 2022, into Tianaero’s Access Bank account. 

The second N599 million was paid in two installments between October and December 2022 into the company’s GTBank account. “Nothing is available to show as Nigeria Air,” Odofin stated.

He also revealed that a compact disk containing Sirika’s verbal directive to the ministry’s permanent secretary to ensure Tianaero got the contracts was scheduled to be played in court.

However, technical glitches forced the court to defer it to the next hearing.

Justice Oriji adjourned the case to July 8 and 9, 2026, for continuation of trial.