By Tony Okorie,Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Investigator, Mr Christopher Odofin, has told the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that he was not aware of a dispute between the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, over the site of a contract awarded to Al Buraq Global Investment Limited at the Katsina airport.

Odofin, the 12th prosecution witness, PW12, in the ongoing trial of former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, and three others, who stated this on Wednesday while being cross-examined by counsel for Al Buraq, Michael Numa, SAN, said there was no land allocated for the expansion of an apron at the airport.

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

The former minister was alleged to have abused his office as a minister to confer unfair advantage on Al Buraq Global Investment Limited by using his position to influence award of contract for the apron extension for the sum of N1,498,300,750, among other alleged offences.

According to the EFCC, the alleged offences were contrary to the provisions of Sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and Section 17(b) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004, as well as Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Acts of the FCT and punishable under the same sections.

However, Sirika and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them by the EFCC.

At the resumed trial in the case, the PW12 confirmed to the court that investigations into the alleged offence were thoroughly conducted, adding that relevant documents were gathered and formed part of the proof of evidence in 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 told the court.

Asked if he interviewed officials of Katsina State Ministry of Lands in the course of the investigation, the witness answered in the negative, insisting that there was no land for the execution of the project.

He, however, told the court that he would be surprised that the Katsina Ministry of Lands provided land for the execution of the contract and communicated the same to EFCC.

The witness further told the court that no NAF personnel and FAAN personnel were interviewed while EFCC was investigating the alleged offence, adding that he did not know if the land in question was also being used 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 do not know if the land is being used by the Air Force. I am not aware that the Air Force sent a document 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 am not aware of a dispute between Air Force and FAAN over the land. I also do not know that the dispute prevented Al Buraq from moving to site. Also, I don’t know if the contract was re-awarded to Al Buraq and the company was asked to move to site,” the PW told the court.

While he alleged that the former minister influenced the award of the contract, the PW12 informed the court 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, were interviewed in the course of investigation, though there was no video recording of the taking of their statements.

Despite being shown documents before the court, the witness insisted that the contracts for terminal building and expansion of the apron at the Katsina airport were one, but confirmed that the Bureau for Public Procurement gave approval for the contracts.

He then informed the court that the Ministry of Aviation had no affiliations with both the second and third defendants in the case, Fatima Hadi Sirika and Hamman Jalal Sule.

He further told the court that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, the couple respectively worked for, did not have any authority over the Aviation Ministry.

He confirmed to the court that though Al Buraq had other shareholders and directors, apart from the second and third defendants, none of them was being prosecuted in court.

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

By George Mgbeleke

Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged traditional rulers in the State to maintain neutrality, ensure fairness and uphold peace in their domains as the country enters the active political season ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement by Chief Press Secretary to the governor,Onwuka Nzeshi, Fubara gave the charge on Wednesday while declaring open the 126th, 127th and 128th Combined Quarterly Meeting of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council, in Port Harcourt.

The Governor said the primary function of traditional rulers is to administer justice and ensure fairness, saying their conduct must not lead to division and unmanageable crises.

“Let me therefore, request, if that is the right word to use, that please, as we are entering into this political season actively, everyone should ensure that your conduct promotes peace in your place. Your actions should not be what would lead to the division and multiple crisis that we cannot manage as a government.

“I think with that, we can all live as one and we can also continue to make this progress that we are trying with all our mind, our body and our soul, to ensure that we deliver to our dear state,” he said.

Governor Fubara urged them to abide by the oath and constitution they swore to before ascending their respective stools, in the interest of the stability and progress Rivers State.

He enjoined the royal fathers to set aside individual sentiments and place the interest of Rivers State above personal considerations, noting that this principle has guided his own day-to-day governance of the State.

“I want to enjoin everyone to keep aside issues of individual sentiments and ensure that the interest of our state supercedes what ever thing that we have in our mind. This is not just what I’m saying here, it is what I’ve also practiced and displayed in my day to day life in the governance of our dear state,” he said.

On the appeal for improved welfare for the traditional rulers, Governor Fubara clarified that the delay in actualising some of the requests they made in the past, was not from the Government but from the inability of the Council to put its house in order.

Governor Fubara explained that the issue of stipends paid to the traditional rulers by the Local Government Councils, was a statutory benefit provided for in the constitution and not what a state governor can change by mere verbal pronouncements. He assured that he remains a man of his word and will fulfill his promises to the traditional rulers before leaving office, next year.

He reaffirmed his respect for the traditional institution as custodians of culture and the closest link to the people, thanking them for their prayers and support. He urged them to ensure that the combined quarterly meeting featured fruitful deliberations that will strengthen peace and development in Rivers State.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Eze Chike Amadi Worlu Wodo, expressed profound gratitude to the state government for its efforts in maintaining a cordial relationship with the traditional institution.

Eze Wodo highlighted the importance of traditional rulers in conflict resolution, noting that their closeness to the people places them in a strategic position to mediate in disputes involving chieftaincy matters, family disputes and land ownership in their respective communities.

The royal father drew the attention of the state government to some challenges affecting the performance of the traditional institution, particularly the lack of official utility vehicles and logistical support needed to discharge its responsibilities effectively. He also appealed for improved monthly stipends and better welfare provisions to reflect prevailing economic realities.

By Our Correspondent with AP Report

Tension builds up as Israelis watched as election results took shape on Wednesday after many voters delivered a rebuke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s far-right government, with the highest turnout in over a quarter-century. Exit polls suggested there was no clear winner and that weeks of negotiating could lie ahead.
Arab-led parties appear to have made a historic showing, but it’s not clear if opponents of the government, who exit polls suggested will have a majority in the next parliament, would form a coalition with them. Issues around the Palestinians and their descendants remain incredibly sensitive in Israel.
Netanyahu was defiant early Wednesday as he seeks to remain the country’s longest-serving prime minister. He dismissed the idea of a partnership with Arab parties, whose constituents make up 20 percent of Israel’s population, as treasonous.
“We must establish a strong, right-wing, nationalist government,” Netanyahu said. “We must not endanger Israel and establish a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties.”
His top challenger, centrist former military chief Gadi Eisenkot , has left the door open to partnering with Arab parties under certain conditions, including their recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and of Hamas as an extremist group. Some likely partners, however, have ruled that out. Whether they will change their minds to force Netanyahu from office remains to be seen.
With 60% of votes counted, Netanyahu’s Likud party has 21.4 percent and Eisenkot’s Yashar party has 16.2%. Either would need to form a coalition. The count from Israel’s Central Elections Committee does not indicate how many seats each will have in parliament, the 120-seat Knesset.
Likud’s share so far was lower than in the previous election in 2022, when it received 23.4 percent.
The results suggest that Netanyahu’s opponents were unable to capitalize on the anger and grief sparked by the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack and three years of war to decisively unseat him.
One loser, however, was far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir , who for many Israelis represented the worst strain of Netanyahu’s government, openly taunting Palestinian detainees and asserting that many in Gaza are “not even people.”
Election turnout was at 77.7 percent of eligible voters, the highest since 1999. Final results are expected in the coming days, including from hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots yet to be counted. Those include military personnel, diplomats and others.
Voting reflected many Israelis’ unease over Netanyahu’s alliance with the far-right and anger over draft exemptions for the significant ultra-Orthodox Jewish population.
Exit polls by major Israeli TV stations suggested Netanyahu’s governing coalition shrank but that Likud would remain the largest party and best placed to be asked to form a government by Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog. The president, however, isn’t required to go with the party having the most seats.
The exit polls suggested that Netanyahu’s bloc and Eisenkot’s each won about 51 seats, and Arab parties won about 18. That sets the stage for weeks of political negotiating before a prime minister is declared, or another round of elections is called.
The easiest path to a parliamentary majority would involve Eisenkot partnering with Arab-led parties, but that could prove politically difficult. In a speech early Wednesday that focused on national unity, Eisenkot pledged to form a government and promised “a new era, an era of hope.”
Confronted with Arab parties’ strong election showing, Israelis are now facing a debate as strong as their coffee.
“We have no future here if we do not stop being afraid. And if we do not stop the racism. We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes,” the leader of the Democrats party, Yair Golan, said on X. His party supports bringing Israel’s Arab-led parties into the coalition.
Israel’s Arab citizens are descendants of Palestinians who remained in the state after its creation in 1948. They often face discrimination and are viewed with wariness because of their solidarity with the Palestinian cause. That suspicion intensified after October 7, even though Palestinian citizens were also among those killed and abducted .
Netanyahu had warned that Arab parties could make or break the election, saying they were heading to the polls in “unprecedented numbers.” He won’t work with the Arab-led parties, and they have also ruled that out.
The mood was joyful at the headquarters of the United Arab List, the lone Arab party to ever join a governing coalition, briefly, in 2021.
“We are here, we are not on the sidelines,” party leader Mansour Abbas declared.
If no one can put together a majority coalition, new elections could be held early next year. Israel held five elections between April 2019 and November 2022 because of a similar stalemate. Whether thousands of Israelis living abroad would again fly back home to vote , and whether Arab voters would again surge to the polls, is unclear.
Minority governments are possible, but they must rely on cooperation from parties outside the government to pass legislation.
Attitudes over a polarising Netanyahu will shape days ahead
The race was widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s nearly unbroken 17-year rule. Israelis were divided even before the deadliest attack in the country’s history. The resulting wars , along with settler violence in the occupied West Bank, have stoked worldwide outrage , straining ties with Israel’s closest allies and fueling a rise in antisemitism.
Netanyahu’s supporters think he is protecting Israel’s security and Jewish identity in the face of international pressure and liberal elites at home.
His detractors say Netanyahu, beset by an ongoing corruption trial , dragged out the war in Gaza and its hostage crisis for political reasons. They say he is undermining Israel’s independent judiciary. And they accuse his government of allowing ultra-Orthodox religious Jews to avoid military conscription .
Eisenkot is viewed by supporters as a capable leader with sterling security credentials. His son and two nephews were killed in Gaza, and his backers believe that he feels deeply the pain that still courses through Israel. Parties that likely would support him have vowed to improve Israel’s international standing and work to conscript ultra-Orthodox men while bolstering the independence of the judiciary.