Mr. Isaiah Yesufu, the Director of Certification, Compliance, and Monitoring at the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), testified against former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika on Monday in the ongoing trial over an alleged N19.4 billion contract fraud.
Sirika, along with his brother Ahmad Sirika and two companies, is facing charges of abuse of office and contract fraud related to the construction of the terminal building at Katsina Airport.
Yesufu, appearing as a prosecution witness, revealed in court that the BPP was not aware of a split in the awarded contract. The accused persons are being prosecuted on a 10-count charge before Justice Suleiman Belgore, including allegations of abuse of office, criminal breach of trust, and self-enrichment.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Sirika awarded several contracts amounting to N19.4 billion to his brother Ahmad. The commission alleges that Sirika unjustly favored Enginos Nigeria Limited, a company owned by his brother, in awarding the Katsina Airport terminal building contract valued at N1,345,586,500.
Another contract, for the establishment of a Fire Truck Maintenance and Refurbishment Centre at the same airport, was allegedly awarded for N3,811,497,685. The EFCC further claims that Ahmad and Enginos Nigeria Limited received N2,337,840,674.16, which were proceeds from Sirika’s alleged criminal actions.
Despite the weight of the accusations, all the defendants have pleaded not guilty.
During his testimony, Yesufu clarified that under procurement regulations, any bidder must submit an affidavit affirming there is no relationship with the procuring entity. He emphasized that any such relationship constitutes a conflict of interest and must be disclosed. Furthermore, any officer with such a conflict is expected to recuse themselves from the procurement process.
Yesufu recounted how the Ministry of Aviation had requested approval to adopt a restricted tendering method due to time constraints. The BPP approved this method for five companies, including Enginos Nigeria Limited. However, after the approval, the ministry reportedly awarded two separate contracts—one to Enginos and the other to Al-Buraq.
He stated:
“The Bureau was not aware how a single contract, titled ‘Construction of Katsina Airport Terminal Building and Apron,’ was eventually awarded as two separate contracts.”
Yesufu revealed he only became aware of the contract split when invited by the EFCC, during which he gave a statement. He confirmed that Enginos was awarded the N1.34 billion contract for the terminal building.
Following his testimony, prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) requested an adjournment to organize additional documents. With no objections from the defense, Justice Belgore adjourned the case until April 8, 2025, for continued testimony from th....
