A witness of the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee, EFCC, Christopher Odofin, admitted on Tuesday on the FCT Top Courtroom that the previous Chairman of the Tenders Board of the Federal Ministry of Aviation, Abel Enitan, who awarded the contract for the growth of the Katsina Airport Apron Extension, was once no longer placed on trial by means of the anti-graft company.
Enitan was once the Everlasting Secretary of the Aviation ministry on the time the contract was once awarded to Al-Buraq International Funding Ltd by means of the Federal Executive.
The witness made this recognized to the Top Courtroom of the Federal Capital Territory the place a former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, is being prosecuted by means of the EFCC on alleged abuse of administrative center within the award of contacts.
The witness who was once pass tested by means of Efut Okoi, recommend to the 2d defendant, Fatima Hadi Sirika, additionally admitted that the Director of Public Procurement, Musa Odiniya, who cleared the award of the contract, was once additionally no longer placed on trial by means of the anti-graft company.
Okoi had requested the EFCC witness whether or not the chairman of the Tenders Board, who signed the contract paper and the director of procurement, who recommended the method of the contract award, have been going through trial for any wrongdoing in admire of the contract in any courtroom within the nation.
In reaction, the witness admitted that the 2 most sensible govt officers on the time the disputed contract was once awarded weren’t placed on trial.
Answering every other query, the witness admitted that the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Corporate Restricted, NNPCL, now operates as a business entity and that the NNPCL didn’t report any petition towards any of the defendants on trial.
From the paperwork tendered sooner than the courtroom by means of the EFCC to ascertain allegations towards Sirika, the witness admitted that the previous minister was once no longer indicted at the face of the contract papers however that the fee most effective put him on trial for alleged abuse of administrative center according to the result of investigation.
Answering questions from every other legal professional, Mr P. A. Adewuyi, the witness additionally admitted that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Fee, NUPRC, didn’t report any petition towards any of the defendants in admire of the contract award.
When reminded the courtroom that the disputed contract for which Al-Buraq International Funding Ltd was once placed on trial by means of the EFCC has since March 17, 2025 been re-awarded to the similar Al-Buraq International Funding Ltd by means of the Federal Executive, the witness mentioned he was once no longer acutely aware of the improvement.
Sirika is charged along his daughter, Fatima, and son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule and an organization, Al Buraq International Funding Restricted.
They’re being prosecuted by means of the EFCC sooner than Justice Sylvanus Oriji on a six-count fee bordering on abuse of administrative center and contract fraud.
The previous minister, in step with EFCC, abused his administrative center as minister by means of conferring unfair benefit upon Al Buraq International Funding Restricted by means of the usage of his place to persuade the award of the contract for the apron extension at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1,498,300,750.
In the meantime, Justice Sylvanus Oriji has mounted October 28, 2026, for pass exam of the witness by means of the 4th defendant, Al-Buraq International Funding Ltd.