Fresh details emerged on Wednesday in the ongoing trial of former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika, as a prosecution witness told a Federal Capital Territory High Court that an aircraft owned by Ethiopian Airlines was allegedly used during the unveiling of the Nigeria Air project in 2023.
The witness, Christopher Odofin, made the claim while testifying before Justice S.C. Oriji in Abuja. He is the 12th witness presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the case against Sirika and three other defendants.
The anti-graft agency is prosecuting Sirika over allegations of abuse of office and the unlawful handling of public funds said to be worth more than N2 billion.
Also facing trial are his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika, his son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule, and a company, Al Buraq Global Investment Limited.
While giving evidence, Odofin said investigators discovered that an aircraft painted in Nigeria Air colours landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on May 27, 2023, just days before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
According to him, the aircraft remained on the ground for a public display linked to the Nigeria Air project before leaving for Addis Ababa on May 29, 2023.
The witness referred to documents presented before the court, which indicated that the aircraft was chartered from Ethiopian Airlines specifically for the unveiling exercise.
Parts of the documents showed that the aircraft was scheduled to remain at the Abuja airport for a static display of the Nigeria Air brand before returning to Ethiopia shortly afterward.
Odofin further stated that the aircraft was operated by Ethiopian Airlines personnel throughout the exercise and that the arrangement was made only a few days before the end of Sirika’s tenure as minister.
He also told the court that investigations revealed the charter agreement with the airline was concluded on May 24, 2023.
According to the witness, the Nigeria Air branding was later removed from the aircraft after the event, after which the plane returned to Ethiopia.
He added that several documents used in the investigation were obtained directly from Ethiopian Airlines after the airline responded to an official EFCC request concerning the Nigeria Air project.
The court admitted all the documents submitted by the prosecution without any objection from the defence team.
Among the evidence accepted by the court was a compact disc said to contain a voice recording linked to Sirika. Prosecutors informed the court that the recording is expected to be played during the next hearing.