The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained the Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Jalal Arabi, and the commission’s secretary, Abdullahi Kontagora, over alleged mismanagement of the N90 billion 2024 Hajj subsidy.
The EFCC recovered SR314,098 from Arabi and other ranking officials, citing fraudulent overpayment of operational costs. The approved 2024 Hajj operational costs were stipulated, but the chairman and others received excess payments.
A document revealed that SR8,614,175.27 cash withdrawal from the N90 billion released by the Federal Government remains unaccounted for by NAHCON. The EFCC has been investigating the commission’s activities since 2022, resulting in recoveries of estacodes paid to staff who did not undertake study tours and payments made for services not rendered.
The document stated that supporting documents for consultancy services were fraudulently backdated, enabling the payment of SAR780,019.59 to Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd. Arabi confessed that the consultant did not render any services.
The EFCC recovered SR1,026,000.00 and SR1,780,019.99 for services not rendered, as well as SR430,920,000 million from Eastern Gulf Company Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The EFCC’s investigation and recoveries indicate a large-scale fraud involving NAHCON officials, with the chairman and secretary currently facing serious interrogations.
