‘Why EFCC is still detaining NAHCON chairman’

A reliable source from the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has confirmed to the BBC that the agency is still detaining the Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, (NAHCON) Jalal Arabi, alongside the secretary of the commission, Abdullahi Kontagora.

The EFCC is probing how NAHCON spent N90bn Hajj that the federal government gave to the commission for the 2024 pilgrimage.

The EFCC source alleged hat a total of SR314,098 (over N120m) had been recovered from the NAHCON chairman and other ranking officials.

He said the EFCC found out that Arabi used part of the support fund entrusted to him by the federal government in paying himself and other officials excessive amounts of money.

He said the approved 2024 Hajj operational cost for the Chairman/CEO, Commissioners, Secretary and Directors/Chief of Staff in the 2024 budget contradicted what was stipulated.

According to him, the chairman was entitled to SR15,929 but got SR50,000; three commissioners, meant to get SR15,929 each, received SR40,000 each; the secretary got SR30,000 instead of SR14,336; Directors/Chief of Staff received SR30,000 instead of the SR2,550 entitled to.

The EFCC official said a total of SR314,098 was recovered from all of them.

The anti-graft agency had first grilled Arabi for hours on July 29 and released him on bail.

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.

The source in the EFCC said that the NAHCON chairman was taken in again on Wednesday for questioning and was detained.

“The secretary and chairman of the commission are in our custody and are facing serious interrogations on the N90bn subsidy, among other allegations,” the source said on condition of anonymity.

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