Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has rejected claims that the Nigeria Air project, initiated during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, was fraudulent.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday, Sirika insisted that the project followed all due process, describing the allegations as politically motivated and factually inaccurate.
“I had no intention to speak about my time in office for now—I plan to publish a book detailing my experience,” he said. “But let me be clear: Nigeria Air was a public-private partnership, regulated by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), which actively participated in the process and issued the necessary certificates.”
Addressing claims that N100 billion was lost in the course of the project, Sirika stated: “That is completely false. The total budget allocated for the national carrier was N5 billion, of which only N3 billion was released. In fact, I left over N1 billion in the ministry’s coffers.”
Nigeria Air was controversially launched in the final days of the Buhari administration, sparking criticism and allegations of fraud. Domestic airline operators, under the umbrella of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), even filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government, challenging the legitimacy of the project.
Since leaving office in 2023, Sirika has been under investigation and is currently facing trial for alleged corruption and abuse of office.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused him of awarding multi-billion-naira aviation contracts to companies linked to his family members, including his daughter, Fatima Sirika, and his son-in-law, Jalal Hamma.
According to the EFCC, Sirika allegedly split a N2.7 billion contract to evade regulatory scrutiny and awarded the segments to companies controlled by his relatives. One such company, Al Buraq Global Investment Limited—allegedly operated by his daughter and son-in-law—was reportedly paid N1.3 billion for an aviation contract that was never executed.
Soft landing? Minister responds to villa visit speculation
When asked whether his recent visit to the Presidential Villa was an attempt to seek a “soft landing” amid the ongoing trial, Sirika dismissed the speculation, maintaining that the case remains before the courts.
“The visit was to officially condole with the President following the passing of our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, and to thank him for his leadership,” he said. “It was also an opportunity to reaffirm the support of our party, which he leads.”
He declined to comment further on the legal case, citing ongoing court proceedings: “Unfortunately, the matter is before a court of law and should not be subject to media discussion.”
Sirika concluded by defending his integrity: “I am a very clean man. I have worked with people and under scrutiny. The government has all the tools to investigate my character, and I welcome that.”
