The anticipated arraignment of the former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika, his brother Ahmad Sirika, and their company Enginos Nigeria Limited hit a snag on Monday at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Garki, Abuja, as the defendants failed to appear.
Representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), lawyer O.A. Atolagbe briefed the court on the defendants’ absence, citing reasons ranging from non-service of summons to logistical constraints.
“The defendants are not in court.
They are not able to make it to the court this morning but they have not been served and are not within Abuja and could not make it into town this morning,” Atolagbe informed the court.
He further explained, “The defendant’s counsel reached out to the prosecution that the defendants will be pleading for an adjournment so that they can be served with the charge and take their plea.
The defendants are not in custody because they were granted administrative bail.
With the intervention of their counsel, they are asking for some time.”
Expressing regret for the absence of the defendants, their counsel, Olaniyi Anjorin, tendered an apology before Justice Suleiman Belgore. “Your lordship I want to sincerely apologise for the absence of the defendants,” Anjorin said.
Consequently, Justice Belgore adjourned the case to May 23 for the arraignment of the defendants.
The charges against Sirika, his brother, and their company revolve around alleged fraudulent activities totaling N19.4 billion, purportedly linked to various aviation ministry contracts.
The EFCC alleges that Sirika exploited his ministerial position to confer undue advantages on his brother’s company and other entities between April 2022 and March 2023 in Abuja.
Among the accusations, Sirika is charged with awarding lucrative contracts to Enginos Nigeria Limited, owned by his younger brother, Ahmad Sirika.
These contracts include the construction of a Terminal Building at Katsina Airport and the establishment of a Fire Truck Maintenance and Refurbishment Centre at the same airport, among others.
Moreover, the EFCC alleges that between August 2022 and May 2023, Ahmad and Enginos indirectly received N2.3 billion, which purportedly represented proceeds of criminal conduct by Sirika.
Prior to this, Ahmad was reportedly detained by the EFCC in connection with payments totaling over N3.2 billion made to his company’s bank account by the former minister. Notably, these contracts were allegedly left incomplete with no evidence of work done.
It’s imperative to mention that this isn’t the first legal entanglement involving Sirika and his family.
Earlier in May, Sirika, his daughter Fatimah, son-in-law Jalal Hamma, and Al-Buraq Investment Limited were arraigned before Justice Sylvanus Orji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama in Abuja.
With legal proceedings unfolding, the nation awaits the next chapter in this high-profile case, as the allegations against Sirika and his associates continue to reverberate through Nigeria’s political and legal landscape.
