Former Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika, his daughter and two others were granted billed by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja after being arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on allegations of committing N7.2bn fraud.
Presiding judge Justice Sylvanus Oriji in granting the bail ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody if they fail to meet the bail conditions and also not to travel out of the country without the court’s permission.
Siriki in the last days of the Muhammed Buhari administration had announced the commencement of operations of Nigeria Air and it turned out that it was just a ruse. The EFCC after investigating the deal invited the former minister for questioning and was promptly detained.
The EFCC accused Sirika of conferring undue advantage on some entities between April 2022 and March 2023 in Abuja.
EFCC alleged that Sirika abused his office by awarding a N1.3 billion consultancy contract for the Nigerian Air start-up to Tianero Nigeria Limited.
Meanwhile a video of the former minister surfaced on X. He was heard saying he is ready to go to jail if it was the will of Allah. He said this while trying to comfort his daughter.
“It’s okay. Fatima, it’s okay.
“Even prophets have gone (to prison). Those that went, haven’t they finished theirs already?…whatever Allah says”
Hidi Sirika