Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The trial of former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, took a dramatic turn on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) played a voice recording in court that allegedly captured the former minister instructing a senior civil servant to award a consultancy contract to a company linked to his friend. Justice S.C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja listened to the audio recording during the testimony of the prosecution's 12th witness, an investigator with the EFCC.
The witness, Assistant Commander Christopher Odofin, confirmed that the voice in the recording belonged to Sirika, who was heard speaking to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, Enitan Abel. The voice note was reportedly sent by the former minister while he was in Spain. In the recording, Sirika could be heard directing the permanent secretary to generate the necessary contract documents and award the job to Tianaero Nigeria Limited, a company linked to a friend of his, Professor Gabriel Tilman.
The EFCC investigator also told the court that Tianaero Nigeria Limited was incorporated barely a year before it was awarded two contracts, a detail the prosecution considers significant in its case against the former minister and his co-defendants. Sirika is standing trial alongside his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika; his son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule; and a company linked to them, Al Buraq Global Investment Limited. They are facing charges related to alleged contract fraud worth N2.8 billion.
Under cross-examination by Sirika's lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi, the EFCC witness confirmed that documents relating to the procurement process did not contain any reference to the former minister. The witness also acknowledged that the request for a no-objection certificate from the Bureau for Public Procurement did not suggest that Sirika had pressured the permanent secretary. However, the witness maintained that the contract should not have been awarded to Tianaero Nigeria Limited because the company had been registered only a year earlier.
The court also admitted an order freezing the accounts of the third and fourth defendants. Justice Oriji adjourned the case for the continuation of cross-examination. Sirika and his co-defendants have all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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