Mr. Christopher Odofin, an investigator with Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in the ongoing trial of former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Abubakar Sirika has told Justice S.C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court Abuja, how Sirika allegedly passed off an aircraft belonging to Ethiopian Airline as that of the promised Nigeria Air by the government of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The aircraft branded as Nigeria Air landed in Abuja on May 27, 2023, shortly before the end of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, and departed for Addis Ababa on May 29, the day of the government handover.
Hadi Sirika is being prosecuted by the EFCC on amended six-count, bordering on alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of over N2 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.
Reading from a portion of contract agreement with Ethiopian Airline, the 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.”
Odofin told the court that the display of the aircraft in Abuja International Airport was deliberately planned to coincide with the end of the former Aviation Minister’s tenure on May 29, 2023 and to pass the aircraft off as the actualisation of his promise of the return of Nigeria Air.
After the less than 72 hours display of the aircraft, the witness stated that the Nigeria Air logo was removed from the aircraft and flown back to Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa.
The witness further revealed 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 Commission’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 first 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 counsel to the four defendants.
Among the exhibits is a compact disk containing a voice note from the first defendant marked Exhibit 37, which the prosecution counsel applied to be played in the court at the next adjourned date.
Testifying further, the witness told the court that though the contract for the start-up of Nigeria Air, which was awarded to Tianaero Nigeria Limited for over N299 million on April 4, 2022, saw a contract extension award to the company on October 17, 2022, to a sum, exceeding N599 million on the instructions and directives of the first defendant, based on his relationship with the company’s alter ego.
According to the investigator “The investigating team arrived at this position when the phone of one Enitan Muyiwa Abel, who was a Permanent Secretary during the tenure of the minister 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 further hearing till June 17, 2026 for the continuation of the trial.
