EFCC detains NAHCON chair, recovers 314,098 Saudi Riyal

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. According to a document from the EFCC, a total of SR314,098 was recovered from Arabi and other ranking officials.

The investigation revealed that Arabi fraudulently overpaid himself and others in the necessary operational costs. The approved 2024 Hajj operational costs for top officials were exceeded, with Arabi receiving SR50,000 instead of SR15,929, among other discrepancies.

The NAHCON Chairman was previously grilled on July 29 and released on bail, but recent developments led to his re-detention. An investigation into the commission’s activities highlighted various mismanagement issues, including unaccounted cash withdrawals and payments for services not rendered.