EFCC investigator claims unaware of NAF, FAAN dispute over Katsina airport undertaking website

Odofin, who’s the twelfth prosecution witness, PW12, within the ongoing trial of the speedy previous Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Abubakar Sirika, and three others, stated this on Wednesday whereas being cross-examined by counsel for Al Buraq, Michael Numa SAN.

He stated there was no land allotted for the growth of an apron on the airport.

Sirika is being prosecuted by the EFCC on behalf of the Federal Government, earlier than Justice Sylvanus Oriji, sitting at Maitama, Abuja, alongside his daughter, Fatima and son-in-law, Hamman Jalal Sule, and an organization purportedly owned by the couple, Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, on a six-count cost bordering on abuse of workplace and contract fraud to the tune of N2.8 billion.

Sirika and his co-defendants, nonetheless, pleaded not responsible to the cost most well-liked in opposition to them by EFCC.

At the resumed trial within the case, the PW12, nonetheless, confirmed to the courtroom that investigations into the alleged offence have been totally performed, including that related paperwork have been gathered and fashioned a part of the proof of proof within the trial.

“To the best of my ability, the investigation was thorough. Also, to the best of my ability, all relevant documents were gathered. All materials submitted to me are in the proof of evidence,” Odofin instructed the courtroom.

Asked if he interviewed officers of Katsina State Ministry of Lands in the midst of the investigation, the witness answered within the destructive, insisting that there was no land for the execution of the undertaking.

He, nonetheless, instructed the courtroom that he could be stunned that the Katsina Ministry of Lands offered land for the execution of the contract and communicated the identical to EFCC.

The witness additional instructed the courtroom that no NAF personnel and FAAN personnel have been interviewed whereas EFCC was investigating the alleged offence, including that he didn’t know if the land in query was additionally being utilized by the NAF.

According to him, “We never interviewed personnel of Katsina State Ministry of Lands. We also did not interview personnel of the Air Force and FAAN.

“I have no idea if the land is being utilized by the Air Force. I’m not conscious that the Air Force despatched a doc on that to EFCC.”

Asked if he knows there is a dispute between NAF and FAAN which prevented Al Buraq from mobilising to site, Odofin told the court he did not know.

He added that he was not aware that the dispute had been resolved and that the contract was re-awarded to Al Buraq and the company had been directed to move to site to execute the project.

“I’m not conscious of a dispute between Air Force and FAAN over the land. I additionally have no idea that the dispute prevented Al Buraq from shifting to website. Also, I do not know if the contract was re-awarded to Al Buraq and the corporate was requested to maneuver to website,” the PW instructed the courtroom.

While he alleged that the previous minister influenced the award of the contract, the PW12 knowledgeable the courtroom that the then Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Aviation, Mr Abel Enitan; Director of Procurement of the ministry, Musa Odiniya; and Azubuike Okorie, who testified as first prosecution witness, PW1, have been interviewed in the midst of investigation, although there was no video recording of the taking of their statements.

Despite being proven paperwork earlier than the courtroom, the witness insisted that the contracts for terminal constructing and growth of the apron on the Katsina airport have been one, however confirmed that the Bureau for Public Procurement gave approval for the contracts.

He then knowledgeable the courtroom that the Ministry of Aviation had no affiliations with each the second and third defendants within the case, Fatima Hadi Sirika and Hamman Jalal Sule.

He additional instructed the courtroom that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, the couple respectively labored for, didn’t have any authority over the Aviation Ministry.

He confirmed to the courtroom that although Al Buraq had different shareholders and administrators, other than the second and third defendants, none of them was being prosecuted in courtroom.

Meanwhile, Justice Oriji has adjourned the case to November 18 for continuation of the cross-examination of PW12.