A former Nigerian aviation minister stands accused of orchestrating an elaborate deception, renting an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft and dressing it in the livery of a promised national carrier to stage a fake launch days before the end of the last administration. The allegation, made by an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission investigator in an Abuja court on Wednesday, has deepened scrutiny of the failed Nigeria Air project and raised questions about the use of public funds.

Prosecution witness Christopher Odofin testified that former minister Hadi Sirika arranged for an Ethiopian Airlines plane to be flown to Abuja on May 27, 2023, three days before President Muhammadu Buhari left office. The aircraft, emblazoned with Nigeria Air branding, was displayed on the tarmac of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport before being returned to Addis Ababa on the morning of May 29, the handover date. Viewed from Abuja, the episode epitomises the gap between grand aviation ambitions and the reality of a sector long plagued by mismanagement.

The case is part of a broader prosecution of Sirika, his daughter, son-in-law and a company over alleged abuse of office and misappropriation exceeding 2 billion naira. Analysts in Lagos note that the timing of the stunt — just before a change of government — suggests a cynical attempt to create a fait accompli. The Buhari administration had championed Nigeria Air as a public-private partnership, but critics argue it was never properly capitalised or licensed.

Meanwhile, in a separate development that underscores the deepening ties between the two countries, Nigeria and Ethiopia finalised a prisoner transfer agreement in Addis Ababa on Wednesday. Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu confirmed that over 100 Nigerians incarcerated in Ethiopia could be repatriated, lamenting that four had died during the protracted negotiations. The juxtaposition of the two stories — one of alleged fraud, the other of humanitarian cooperation — illustrates the complex, multifaceted relationship between Africa’s two most populous nations.

Looking ahead, the Sirika trial will test Nigeria’s commitment to holding public officials accountable for aviation sector failures. The prosecution’s evidence, if proven, would confirm suspicions that the Nigeria Air project was a mirage. For Ethiopian Airlines, already a dominant player in African aviation, the episode risks tarnishing its reputation by association, even as it deepens operational links with Nigeria through the prisoner deal and other partnerships.