The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly frozen the account of the brother of the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, over an alleged N8.06 billion fraud.
News About Nigeria reports that the anti-graft had arrested Abubakar Ahmad Sirika, the brother of the immediate past minister of aviation, over failure to allegedly carry out a contract awarded to his company by the Federal Ministry of Aviation.
The Commission is currently probing the immediate past leadership of the ministry over alleged conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds, contract inflation, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering.
According to reports, during the investigation by the anti-graft agency, it was discovered that a sum of N3, 212,258,930.18 was linked to having been sent to Engirios Nigeria Limited, which is owned by Abubakar.
Abubakar, who is also a Level-16 officer and a deputy director in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, was said to have been awarded four other big contracts under his company (Engirios Nigeria Limited) during his brother’s tenure as minister.
The four contracts that were awarded to Abubakar are the procurement and installation of elevators, air conditioners and power generator houses in Aviation House, Abuja (N615,195,275.000); Construction of the Terminal Building in Katsina Airport (N1,345,586,500.00); Procurement of Magnus Aircraft and simulators for Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria (N2, 296,897, 404.00); Fire Truck Maintenance and Refurbishment centre in Katsina Airport (N3, 811,497,685.00);
According to the EFCC, the Commission arrested Abubakar to properly investigate how the funds allocated to his company for the projects were handled.