A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Christopher Odofin, admitted on Tuesday at the FCT High Court that the former Chairman of the Tenders Board of the Federal Ministry of Aviation, Abel Enitan, who awarded the contract for the expansion of the Katsina Airport Apron Extension, was not put on trial by the anti-graft agency.
Enitan was the Permanent Secretary of the Aviation ministry at the time the contract was awarded to Al-Buraq Global Investment Ltd by the Federal Government.
The witness made this known to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory where a former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, is being prosecuted by the EFCC on alleged abuse of office in the award of contacts.
The witness who was cross examined by Efut Okoi, counsel to the 2nd defendant, Fatima Hadi Sirika, also admitted that the Director of Public Procurement, Musa Odiniya, who cleared the award of the contract, was also not put on trial by the anti-graft agency.
He admitted that the permanent secretary and director of procurement are both not standing trial, even though they are responsible for all matters of procurement and the contract award.
Okoi had asked the EFCC witness whether the chairman of the Tenders Board, who signed the contract paper and the director of procurement, who endorsed the process of the contract award, were facing trial for any wrongdoing in respect of the contract in any court in the country.
In response, the witness admitted that the two top government officials at the time the disputed contract was awarded were not put on trial.
Answering another question, the witness admitted that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, now operates as a commercial entity and that the NNPCL did not file any petition against any of the defendants on trial.
From the documents tendered before the court by the EFCC to establish allegations against Sirika, the witness admitted that the former minister was not indicted on the face of the contract papers but that the commission only put him on trial for alleged abuse of office based on the outcome of investigation.
Answering questions from another lawyer, Mr P. A. Adewuyi, the witness also admitted that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, did not file any petition against any of the defendants in respect of the contract award.
When reminded the court that the disputed contract for which Al-Buraq Global Investment Ltd was put on trial by the EFCC has since March 17, 2025 been re-awarded to the same Al-Buraq Global Investment Ltd by the Federal Government, the witness said he was not aware of the development.
Sirika is charged alongside his daughter, Fatima, and son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule and a company, Al Buraq Global Investment Limited.
They are being prosecuted by the EFCC before Justice Sylvanus Oriji on a six-count charge bordering on abuse of office and contract fraud.
The former minister, according to EFCC, abused his office as minister by conferring unfair advantage upon Al Buraq Global Investment Limited by using his position to influence the award of the contract for the apron extension at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1,498,300,750.
Meanwhile, Justice Sylvanus Oriji has fixed October 28, 2026, for cross examination of the witness by the 4th defendant, Al-Buraq Global Investment Ltd.
Ex-Aviation Tenders Board chairman, secretary not on trial over N1.4bn contract - EFCC witness