The trial of former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, over an alleged N2.7 billion fraud continued on Wednesday at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, with the prosecution presenting an audio recording it said featured the former minister discussing a consultancy arrangement.
The recording was played before Justice S.C. Oriji during proceedings, with the prosecution’s 12th witness, Assistant Commander of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Christopher Odofin, identifying the voice in the audio as Sirika’s.
Led in evidence during cross-examination by defence counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Odofin told the court that the voice note was sent by Sirika from Spain to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, Enitan Abel.
According to the witness, the conversation centred on a consultancy arrangement involving Prof. Gabriel Tilman, whom he described as the alter ego of Tinaero Nigeria Limited. Odofin said Sirika was heard in the recording stating that someone identified as Yasir, whom the witness described as the former minister’s cousin, would be assigned to guide Tilman on how consultancy work is carried out in Nigeria.
The witness further testified that Sirika referred to Tilman as a close friend who was “comfortable” with the ministry, adding that the former minister acknowledged in the recording that some ministry officials did not like him.
Odofin also told the court that Tinaero Nigeria Limited was incorporated about a year before it secured two government contracts, a fact he said was significant to the EFCC’s case.
Following the testimony, the court admitted as exhibits an order freezing the bank accounts of the third defendant, Hamma Jalal Sule, and the fourth defendant, Al Buraq Investment Global Limited, both maintained with Zenith Bank.
Sirika is standing trial alongside his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika; his son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule; and Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, a company linked to his daughter.
During cross-examination by Sirika’s counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), the witness confirmed that an earlier exhibit was a request by the Ministry of Aviation to the Bureau of Public Procurement seeking a no-objection certificate to adopt selective tendering for critical capital projects. He said the document was signed by Permanent Secretary Enitan Abel.
Odofin also identified another exhibit as the Bureau’s response approving the request, but acknowledged that neither of the two documents mentioned Sirika by name.
