Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has been apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N8 billion fraud.
The PUNCH reports EFCC arrests Sirika over N8bn Nigeria Air fraud
that Sirika got to the EFCC’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command in Abuja around 1pm on Tuesday.
Sirika is currently being questioned by the anti-graft agency over his involvement in the money laundering case.
The former Aviation Minister is also being interrogated for allegedly awarding fraudulent contracts to Engirios Nigeria Limited, a company owned by his younger brother, Abubakar Sirika.
“Yes, that was Hadi Sirika who was taken into our FCT custody,” the Punch quoted an EFCC source as saying.
“He is currently meeting with EFCC investigators over the alleged N8,069,176,864.00 aviation ministry contract fraud.”
House of Representatives last December summoned the immediate past Minister of Aviation over the national carrier project, “Nigeria Air.”
The lawmakers ordered the Committee on Aviation to invite him to brief the lower legislative chamber on the state of the project as of the time he left office.
The ex-minister was invited to shed light on a variety of issues regarding the national heritage.
His invitation came after Tarkighir Dickson’s motion was acknowledged at a plenary session in Abuja.
Dickson stated that Sirika presented an aviation road plan in 2016, with the national carrier as the marquee project.
Sirika was also said to have promised to deliver the project before the conclusion of erstwhile President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
The House of Reps in June 2023 reported that the Buhari-led administration deceived Nigerians by unveiling a Boeing 737-800 aircraft belonging to Ethiopian Airline as a “Nigeria Air” plane.
The lawmakers faulted the Buhari government over the purported launch of Nigeria Air some days before the end of the administration, declaring it a fraud.
