A prosecution witness has told a Federal Capital Territory High Court that former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, violated due process in awarding contracts worth nearly N900m to a consultancy firm for the ill-fated Nigeria Air project.
The 12th prosecution witness, Christopher Odofin, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), made the disclosure on Wednesday before Justice S.C. Oriji while testifying in the ongoing trial of Sirika, who faces a six-count charge of abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds totalling over N2bn.
Odofin told the court that Sirika awarded a N299m contract to Tianaero Nigeria Limited for consultancy services on 4 April 2022, days before the Bureau of Public Procurement responded to the ministry’s request for a Certificate of No Objection.
A second contract worth N599m was subsequently awarded to the same company as an extension, with the BPP bypassed entirely.
“Before the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development received a response from the BPP, the contract award letter had already gone out to Tianaero Limited,” Odofin told the court.
“The BPP was completely kept in the dark regarding the first defendant’s award of the contract extension.”
The witness further revealed that Tianaero Nigeria Limited was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission on 29 March 2021 — barely one year before the contracts were awarded.
The company is owned by a German national, Gabriel Tilmann, described as a close friend and associate of the former minister.
Both contract sums were paid in full to Tianaero Nigeria Limited despite nothing being available to show for Nigeria Air.
The first contract was paid in four tranches between May and July 2022 into the company’s Access Bank account, while the second was paid in two instalments between October and December 2022 into its Guaranty Trust Bank account.
A compact disc containing a verbal instruction allegedly given by Sirika to his permanent secretary, directing that the contracts must be awarded to Tianaero Nigeria Limited, was scheduled to be played in court but was deferred to the next hearing date due to technical difficulties.
Sirika is being prosecuted alongside his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika, son-in-law Hamma Jalal Sule, and Al Buraq Global Investment Limited.
Justice Oriji adjourned the matter to 8 and 9 July 2026 for continuation of trial.
(The Whistler)