The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to arraign former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Maitama on Thursday.
Sirika, who served as a minister in the administration of former president Muhammadu Buhari, will face a six-count amended charge.
He, along with three others, including his daughter, Fatima; Jalal Hamma, and Al-Duraq Investment Ltd, will be arraigned for abuse of office involving N2.7 billion.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the EFCC’s investigation into the financial malfeasance allegedly committed by the former minister, “including fraudulent contracts awarded by the ministry under his watch,” led to his detention in Abuja on April 23.
Sirika was invited by the Abuja Zonal Command of the commission to answer questions regarding alleged contract malfeasance. He was subsequently interrogated and detained at the Formella Street, Wuse 2 Zonal office of the Commission.
“The former minister (Sirika) was invited for questioning by investigators handling the alleged contract frauds under his watch in the ministry. He honoured the invitation and has been detained as I am talking with you,” a source in the EFCC, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN.
The source also revealed that the EFCC had been investigating the alleged contract frauds while Sirika was in office, and he had even met with investigators before he was detained.
The arraignment, initially scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed due to the EFCC’s request to amend the charge.
