Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika; his daughter, and two others in the sum of ₦100 million with two sureties.

Sirika and others are being tried over an alleged ₦2.7bn fraud.

Also, the sureties must depose to an affidavit of means. The court also restricted the defendants from travelling abroad without its permission.

Justice Oriji ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody if they failed to meet their bail conditions.

The allegations

Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in April, took the ex-aviation minister into custody and grilled him for days.

The anti-graft agency then slammed six six-count charge on Hadi Sirika, his daughter, and two others.

The anti-graft agency accused Sirika of conferring undue advantage on some entities between April 2022 and March 2023 in Abuja.

EFCC alleged that Sirika abused his office by awarding N1.3 billion consultancy contract for the Nigerian Air start-up to Tianero  Nigeria Limited.

According to EFCC, his actions were contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Furthermore, in another count, EFCC alleged that on or about August 18, 2022 in Abuja, Sirika “did use your position to confer unfair advantage upon Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, whose alter ego, Fatima Hadi Sirika and Jalal Sule Hamma, are your daughter and son-in-law, respectively, by using your position to influence the award to them, the contract for the Apron Extension at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1,498,300,750.”

Therefore, the charge noted, Sirika violated Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. And that he was liable to punishment under the same section.

The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has explained that his visit to the residential quarters of the State House of Assembly was to undertake on-the-spot assessment of condition of the structures for a possible rehabilitation work to restore its status and make it habitable.

The Governor had made a brief stop at the Assembly Quarters yesterday enroute Emohua – Abalama -Tema Junction on inspection of the 15.24 kilometers long dual carriageway road project.

According a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, Fubara, who spoke after the inspection stated that the assembly quarters is part of state government properties, adding that the facility needs to be taken good care of.

He noted that the state now has a new speaker for the State House of Assembly, noting that his visit was to see what were necessary to be done.

Fubara, who took a walk round the facility, said that he decided to visit the place to get better appreciation of what needs to be done to make the quarters conducive for lawmakers.

The Governor said: “Is the Assembly quarters not part of my property? Is there anything wrong in going to check how things are going on there? You are aware of the developments. We have a new speaker, and I went there to see for my myself how things are. There might be a few things I might want to do there for the good of our people.”

The Governor speaking on the road project, said he was assessing the extent of job that had been done to know what else was needed in preparing the road for commissioning during his one year anniversary.

He pointed out that the road project was inherited from the immediate past administration but a greater chunk of the cost was borne by his administration.

“As a matter of fact, we added this section of the road as one of the projects we will be commissioning. So, I needed to see it myself, and what is remaining is just the lighting. By the grace of God, we will commission it.”

“We feel justified to add it as our project and to commission it for the good of our people here. Governance is all about the people. When the people are out of the centre of governance, then it is no longer governance.

“So, this road, as we all now know, was in a very bad state. A lot of criminal activities were being carried out here: kidnapping and all sorts of things. So, putting this road in order is appropriate,” he said.

The Governor further added: “You can see the little hour we spent coming here. Before, it takes you 30 to 45 minutes to drive from Emohua to this place. But look at it, less than 15 minutes we are here. So, it is about the people, the good of the people, making life easy for the people. That is the way I see governance. Anything outside that has nothing to do with me.”

The House of Representatives has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to suspend the proposed implementation of the cybercrime levy of 0.5% on electronic transactions.

Consequently, the House directed the CBN to withdraw the ambiguous circular in existence and issue an unequivocal circular in line with the letters and spirit of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2024.

The Green Chamber also mandated its Committees on Banking Regulations, and Banking and other Ancillary Institutions to guide the CBN properly.

This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda (PDP Rivers), and 359 others.

The motion …

Moving the motion, Chinda said CBN through a circular to all commercial, merchant, non-interest and payment service banks; other financial institutions, mobile money operators, and payment service providers (“CBN Circular”) dated 6th May 2024 informed Nigerians of a proposed 0.5% levy on electronic transactions in line with Section 44(2)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2024.

He noted that Section 44(2)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024 provides that “a levy of 0.5% (0.005) equivalent to half percent of all electronic transactions value by businesses specified in the Second Schedule to the Act it be paid into the Cybersecurity Fund.

“Further notes that businesses which the said Section 44(2)(a) refers to are listed in the Second Schedule to the Cybercrimes Act to be: a) GSM Service Providers and all telecommunication companies; b) Internet Service Providers; c) Banks and Other Financial Institutions; d) Insurance Companies and e) Nigerian Stock Exchange.

“Concerned that the CBN circular mandates all Banks, Other Financial Institutions and Payments Service Providers to implement the Cybercrimes Act by applying the levy at the point of electronic transfer origination as “Cybersecurity Levy” and remitting same.

“Further concerned that the wordings of the CBN Circular leaves the CBN directive to multiple interpretations including that the levy be paid by bank customers, that is, Nigerians against the letters and spirit of Section 44(2)(a) and the Second Schedule to the Cybercrimes Act, which specifies the businesses that should be levied accordingly,” Chinda said.

The lawmaker expressed worry that this act has led to apprehension as Civil Society Organisations and citizens have taken to conventional and social media to call out the Federal Government, and give ultimatums for a reversal of the “imposed levy on Nigerians” among other things.

He argued that unless immediate pragmatic steps are taken to halt the proposed action of the CBN, the Cybercrime Act shall be implemented in error at a time when Nigerians are experiencing the aftermath of multiple removal of subsidies from petroleum, electricity, and so on and the rising inflation.

This was coming amidst calls from the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Local Government Areas on the State House of Assembly to impeach the governor.

There were fears that the assembly might be gearing up to start up the impeachment process against the governor anytime. Although, 4 members of the State House of Assembly loyal to Fubara had yesterday elected Victor Oko Jumbo as its new Speaker after the resignation of Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie.

However, the governor in view of the renewed political tension in the state made a brief stopover at the assembly residential quarters unexpectedly.

The governor, who visited the facility did not talk to anyone, rather took a stroll round the facility before moving on to monitor an ongoing project around Obiri-Ikwerre.

Earlier, there were reports that the state government has commenced efforts to begin the renovation of the state assembly complex. This development has created some panic among the lawmakers loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike.

Although, the essence of the visit to assembly facility has not been confirmed, but a source in the state government House, noted that the governor wants to started the renovation of the facility to give it a face lift.

This was coming amidst calls from the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Local Government Areas on the State House of Assembly to impeach the governor.