The headquarters of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in Abuja was raided by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, resulting in the arrest of the commission’s spokesperson, Fatimah Usara, and three other staff members.
The raid, which commenced at approximately 11 a.m., saw EFCC personnel arriving at the premises in a white bus with a valid warrant of arrest.
Sources familiar with the situation disclosed that the arrests are linked to an ongoing investigation into financial misconduct and misappropriation of funds within NAHCON.
Earlier, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had also conducted a raid on NAHCON’s headquarters, focusing on the alleged mismanagement of a substantial N90 billion intervention allocated for the 2024 Hajj operations.
The EFCC, in its statement, accused NAHCON’s leadership, including Chairman Jalal Arabi and Secretary Abdullahi Kontagora, of fraudulent activities related to the Hajj subsidy.
According to the anti-graft agency, investigations revealed significant discrepancies in the disbursement of funds meant for operational costs during the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage.
“The chairman and several other officials were found to have overpaid themselves and others under the guise of necessary operational expenditures,” the EFCC spokesperson highlighted.
“This included inflated payments well beyond what was stipulated, amounting to a total of SR314,098.”
Jalal Arabi had previously been interrogated by the EFCC on July 29, 2024, and subsequently released on bail.
Efforts to reach EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale for further comment on this recent development were unsuccessful at the time of this report.
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