Hadi Sirika Allegedly Secured Nigeria Air Contract for Friend

What changed

A witness described how former aviation minister Hadi Sirika allegedly secured a Nigeria Air contract for his friend, Gabriel Tilmann, a professor.

Sirika is facing six corruption charges. They partly concern an alleged ₦1.3 billion contract awarded by Nigeria’s aviation ministry to Tilmann in 2023.

Why it matters

The new testimony shifts attention from the contract’s value to the alleged process behind it: how a public aviation deal was secured and who stood to benefit.

That makes the case about more than one disputed payment. It puts ministerial decision-making, personal connections and the use of public money at the centre of the proceedings. The witness’s account remains an allegation to be tested in court, and the contract’s final legal status has not been established.