RismadarVoice Reporters
June 17, 2026
The trial of former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, continued on Wednesday June 17, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, with a prosecution witness alleging that the former minister violated due process in the award of consultancy contracts linked to the controversial Nigeria Air project.
Testifying before Justice S.C. Oriji, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) 12th prosecution witness, Christopher Odofin, told the court that Sirika awarded contracts worth N299 million and N599 million to Tianaero Nigeria Limited without complying with statutory procurement procedures.
Sirika is standing trial alongside his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika, his son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule, and Al Buraq Global Investment Limited on amended six-count charges bordering on abuse of office and alleged misappropriation of more than N2 billion in public funds.
Led in evidence by the prosecution, Odofin, an EFCC investigator, told the court that the Ministry of Aviation awarded the first consultancy contract to Tianaero Nigeria Limited on April 4, 2022, while a second contract extension valued at N599 million was awarded on April 6, 2022.
According to him, investigations revealed that the ministry requested a Certificate of No Objection from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) through a letter dated March 7, 2022, but proceeded to award the contract before receiving the bureau’s approval.
“The response from the BPP was dated April 6, 2022, and was officially received by the ministry on April 7, 2022, while the contract award letter to Tianaero was dated April 4, 2022,” the witness said.
“That means the contract was awarded before the ministry received the response from the BPP.”
Odofin further alleged that the BPP was not informed at all regarding the award of the second contract, which he described as an extension of the initial consultancy arrangement.
The witness told the court that Tianaero Nigeria Limited is owned by a German national, Gabriel Tilmann, whom he described as a close associate and friend of the former minister.
He also disclosed that the company was incorporated on March 29, 2021, barely a year before it secured the contracts for consultancy services on the proposed national carrier project.
The EFCC investigator said the contracts were fully paid despite the absence of any operational national airline to show for the expenditure.
According to him, the N299 million contract was paid in four tranches between May and July 2022 into the company’s Access Bank account, while the N599 million contract extension was settled in two instalments between October and December 2022 through its Guaranty Trust Bank account.
The prosecution also sought to tender a compact disc said to contain an audio recording of Sirika allegedly directing the ministry’s permanent secretary to ensure the contracts were awarded to Tianaero Nigeria Limited.
However, the recording could not be played in court due to technical issues and was deferred to the next hearing date.
Justice Oriji subsequently adjourned the matter until July 8 and 9, 2026, for continuation of trial.
