President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government has halted the Nigeria Airline project indefinitely.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo, announced this development on Monday during the Ministerial briefing commemorating the first year of the Tinubu administration.
Keyamo emphasized that the airline was not truly Nigerian, but rather an effort to pass off a foreign airline as a national carrier.
How Buhari’s Minister, Sirika Was Arrested Over ₦8 Billion Nigeria Air Fraud
Last month, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested a former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, over its ongoing probe into the botched Nigeria Air project.
Naija News understands that the former minister is being investigated for allegedly awarding fraudulent contracts to a company owned by his younger brother, Abubakar Sirika.
The contracts, worth over N8 billion, were awarded to Engirios Nigeria Limited for various aviation projects, including the construction of a terminal building at Katsina Airport and the procurement of aircraft and simulators for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology.
According to sources, Sirika was also being grilled over alleged conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds to the tune of N80.06bn, and contract inflation when he held sway at the aviation ministry.
One of the sources told Daily Trust that the former minister was picked up at his Abuja residence by operatives of the anti-graft agency and interrogated at the Federal Capital Territory Command at about 12:55 pm on Tuesday.
The EFCC official source, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said the EFCC operatives quietly went to Sirika’s residence when they were least expected.
“He was picked up at his Abuja residence by our operatives,” he said.
Another source said the minister was taken into custody and is meeting with EFCC investigators to explain how some funds were expended in his ministry during his time in office.
“Yes, he has been taken into custody and is meeting with our detectives to explain how some funds to the tune of N8, 069,176,864.00 were expended in his ministry when he was the minister.
“All necessary checks have been done before the invitation and he will be asked to explain the role he played in the (alleged) infractions.
“It is an ongoing thing, we will not relent,” the source said.