2.7bn Fraud: Court Grants Sirika, Daughter ₦200m Bail

A former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, has pleaded not guilty to the alleged corrupt practices involving about N2.7 billion brought against him by the Federal Government.
Sirika was arraigned before Justice Sylvanus Oriji at the Federal High Court in Abuja along with his daughter, Fatima, his son-in-law, Jalal Sule Hamma, and a firm called Al Buraq Global Investment Limited.
The daughter and son-in-law also pleaded not guilty to the six-count charges when read to them.
Following their denial of the fraud charges, their respective lawyers filed applications for their bail, which was granted by the judge.
Justice Oriji admitted the three defendants on bail for ₦100m and two sureties each in the same sum.
The sureties must be responsible citizens with verifiable home addresses, while one of them must have landed property with a certificate of occupancy signed by the FCT Minister.
The judge ordered that the defendants not travel out of the country without express permission of the court.
If they were unable to perfect the bail conditions, Justice Orijin ordered that they be remanded in prison custody until the time of perfection of bail conditions.
The court fixed June June 10th for the commencement of the trial.
Sirika served under the administration of former president Muhammadu Buhari.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on Wednesday said it would arraign Sirika and the three others.
The charge sheet sighted by the media alleged that Sirika used his position as a minister to fraudulently award contracts to his daughter, son-in-law, and associates.
In February, the EFCC arrested Sirika’s brother, Abubakar Sirika, over an alleged contract fraud in the aviation ministry.
The EFCC had disclosed that the funds in question referred to four aviation contracts that the former minister had given to his younger brother’s business, Engirios Nigeria Limited.
Hadi Sirika is not only the top-ranking name from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that the EFCC is investigating.
Former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, and the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Beta Edu, are both under immense scrutiny from the EFCC over corruption allegations.