Hadi Sirika, the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s minister of aviation, has been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with an ongoing N8 billion money laundering investigation involving Nigeria Air.
It was reported that on Tuesday at around 1:00 pm, Sirika appeared at the EFCC’s Federal Capital Territory Command.
The EFCC is questioning Sirika at the moment on purportedly fraudulent contracts that he gave to a business called Engirios Nigeria Limited, which is owned by his younger brother, Abubakar Sirika.
Remember that the EFCC looked into the Aviation Ministry’s operations under Sirika in February for possible conspiracy, official misconduct, misappropriation of funds, and contract inflation. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
Others are criminal breaches of trust and money laundering amounting to N8,069,176,864.00 during Sirika’s tenure in office.
Apart from being listed as the company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abubakar is said to be the sole signatory to the company’s two accounts, domiciled in Zenith and Union Banksy.
It was gathered that the ex-minister’s younger brother, Abubakar Sirika, has been arrested and detained by the commission in connection with N3,212,258,930.18 paid to his company, Engirios Nigerian Limited’s, bank account by the former minister.
It was noted that there is no trace of work done on any of the contract items to date.
Sirika was arrested Sunday February 4 to assist the commission in its probe of the Aviation Ministry’s financial expenditures during his tenure.
