By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, has granted ₦100m ($69,000) bail to former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika who was on Thursday arraigned over N2.7 billion corruption charge.
The former Minister was arraigned along with his daughter, Fatima, son-in-law, Jalal Sule Hamma, and a firm, Al Buraq Global Investment Limited before Justice Sylvanus Oriji, where they all pleaded not guilty to the six-count charges of corruption when read to them.
After granting their bail application, which was moved orally through their counsels, Justice Oriji ordered that the defendants must not travel out of the country without express permission of the court.
They should be remanded in prison custody if unable to perfect their bail conditions, till the time of perfection of bail conditions, the court further ordered.
Heritage Times HT reports that the anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had accused Sirika who served under the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari of using his position to fraudulently award contracts to his daughter, son-in-law, and associates.
In February, the EFCC arrested Sirika’s brother Abubakar Sirika over an alleged contract fraud in the aviation ministry.
During his tenure as minister, Sirika faced allegations including conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds, contract inflation, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering totaling N8,069,176,864.
The EFCC had revealed that the funds in dispute related to four aviation contracts awarded by the former minister to a company called Engirios Nigeria Limited, which is owned by his younger brother.
Heritage Times HT recalls that at least eight ministers, who served under former President Buhari, had been invited over allegations bordering on corruption, according to an Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) source.
Invitation letters, it was learnt, requested the former top government officials to come and explain how they spent funds allocated to their ministries on some designated projects when they held sway at their respective positions.
Among them is the former Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, who was invited recently for N2bn fraud and “part of the money allegedly diverted from the African First Lady Peace Mission Project.”
Last year, Sale Mamman, a former minister of power under former President Buhari was arrested and detained by the EFCC in connection with an alleged N22 billion fraud related to power projects.
Also a former police affairs Minister, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, had also been summoned over how the Police Trust Fund was handled.
