The Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Jalal Arabi, and the commission’s secretary, Abdullahi Kontagora, are currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the alleged mismanagement of the N90bn 2024 Hajj subsidy.
In a document released on Wednesday, the anti-graft agency said, “A total of SR314,098 Saudi Riyal was recovered,” from the NAHCON chairman and other ranking officials.
The EFCC said its investigation revealed that from the N90bn Hajj subsidy, Arabi, fraudulently overpaid himself and others the necessary operational cost.
The document also states that the Chairman/CEO’s approved 2024 Hajj operating costs
The budget for 2024 specifies that the Commissioners, Secretary, Directors, and Chief of Staff will receive $4,250, $12,750, $3,825, and $15,300, respectively.
But according to the EFCC, the chairman falsely payed himself, the commissioners, the secretary, and the directors for the operating costs of the 2024 hajj.
The anti-graft agency had first grilled Arabi for hours on July 29 and released him on bail.
“Three commissioners who were supposed to receive SR 15,929 apiece instead received SR 40,000; the chairman was entitled to SR 15,929 but received SR 50,000 instead. SR 30,000 was given to the secretary in lieu of SR 14,336. Directors and Chief of Staff should have gotten SR 2,550, but instead they were given SR $30,000.
All of them had SR314,098 recovered from them.
Also, last week Wednesday, some top officials of the Hajj commission were arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission over alleged mismanagement or diversion of the N90bn subsidy.
