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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) continued its case on Thursday against former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, his daughter Fatima Hadi Sirika, son-in-law Hamma Jalal Sule, and Al Buraq Global Investment Limited.
The accused were charged for alleged misappropriation of public funds amounting to N2 billion.
The prosecution counsel, A.O. Atolagbe, presented its 10th and 11th witnesses as proceedings continued on Thursday.
In a statement by Dele Oyewale, Head Media and Publicity of the EFCC, the 10th Prosecution Witness, a public servant with the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), testified regarding the employment details of the third defendant, Hamma Jalal Sule.
The witness, who previously served as Head of Human Resources (HR) at the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) before its transition to NUPRC, confirmed receiving a request from the EFCC on March 14, 2024, for Sule’s employment records.
The Prosecution witness identified the letter sent to the EFCC, which was admitted as Exhibit 26 without objection from the defense. He then detailed Sule’s offer of employment as Regulatory Officer 1 on GL9 (Grade Level), dated February 3, 2023.
The witness also confirmed that background checks revealed Sule had previously worked at the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NNRA) in 2021 as a Regulatory Officer, and that NUPRC is a government agency established by the Petroleum Industry Act.
Under cross-examination, the witness admitted he had worked in HR for two years and was not Head of HR when Sule was employed. He clarified that while a one-year probation period is standard for new recruits, no investigation was specifically conducted into Sule’s private interests before his recruitment. He also stated he had no records of the third defendant filling a Code of Conduct form as he had left HR before then, and was unaware if the fourth defendant owned a company.
Counsel for the second defendant, Ufot Okoi, also cross-examined the witness, asking if Sule had any issues in his previous or current employment. The witness denied any such knowledge.
Sanusi Musa, SAN, counsel for the third defendant, confirmed through his cross-examination that Sule underwent induction training covering civil service rules, job technicalities, and NUPRC procedures upon employment. The witness was then discharged.
The 11th Prosecution Witness (PW11), a Deputy Manager, Policy Compliance and Accountability at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), testified regarding the employment of the second defendant, Fatima Hadi Sirika. PW11 confirmed that the EFCC had requested information on Sirika, and NNPCL responded with a covering memo and documents, which were admitted as Exhibit 27.
Atolagbe led PW11 to identify Sirika’s offer of employment as a graduate trainee dated February 14, 2020, effective May 4, 2020, and her confirmation dated June 10, 2021, effective May 4, 2021. The witness confirmed that Sirika remained a staff member and was promoted on January 1, 2023.
During cross-examination, counsel for the first and fourth defendants asked if PW11 knew the reason for the EFCC’s investigation. He denied direct knowledge but confirmed that NNPCL had informed him of Sirika’s invitation by the EFCC. He also explained that NNPCL transitioned from a public corporation to a private limited liability company in 2021, meaning staff are no longer considered public officers or bound by public service rules after the transition.
PW11 further stated that NNPCL staff are not subjected to filling code of conduct forms, and he was unaware if NNPCL is subject to oversight by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Treasury Single Account, or the Public Procurement Act. He also confirmed that Sirika met all requirements for permanent employment after her one-year probation.
Counsel for the second defendant confirmed through PW11 that Sirika was not found wanting in her duties and was indeed promoted. Counsel for the third defendant confirmed that Sirika was confirmed as a staff of a private limited liability company at the time. He also asked if Sirika had faced any disciplinary actions or breached any Nigerian laws, to which the witness replied he was unaware of any such incidents.
The witness was subsequently discharged, and the trial was adjourned until June 30, 2025, for continuation.