The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained the Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Jalal Arabi, over the alleged mismanagement of the N90 billion 2024 Hajj subsidy.
It was gathered that Arabi was detained alongside the NAHCON Secretary, Abdullahi Kontagora, at the EFCC custody in Abuja.
The anti-graft agency, in a document obtained on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, disclosed that SR314,098 was recovered from the NAHCON chairman and other officials.
The EFCC noted that its investigation revealed that from the N90 billion Hajj subsidy, Arabi fraudulently overpaid himself and others the necessary operational cost.
It stated: “The chairman fraudulently overpaid himself, the commissioners, secretary and directors for the 2024 hajj operational cost.
“The chairman was entitled to SR15,929 but he got SR50,000; three commissioners who were meant to get SR 15,929 each received SR 40,000 each.
“The secretary got SR 30,000 instead of SR14,336. Directors/Chief of Staff received SR 30,000 instead of the SR2,550 they were entitled to. The total of SR314,098 were recovered from all of them.”
The anti-graft agency had first grilled Arabi for hours on July 29 and released him on bail.
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Last week Wednesday, some NAHCON officials were arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged mismanagement or diversion of the N90 billion subsidy.
A source in the EFCC disclosed that the NAHCON chairman was re-arrested for questioning and was detained.
“The Secretary and Chairman of the commission are in our custody and are facing serious interrogations on the N90 billion subsidy, among other allegations,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Punch.
A document obtained further revealed that SR 8,614,175.27 cash withdrawal out of the N90 billion released by the federal government to NAHCON is yet to be accounted for by the commission.
The document partly read: “The sum of N90 billion was released by the Federal Government of Nigeria to the National Hajj Commission to subsidise the 2024 Hajj Operations by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“The total sum of N1,764,705,937.62 was deducted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as bank charges.
“The sum of N88, 235,294,063.72 was subsequently converted into United States dollars at the rate of N1,416.13, which amounted to $62,307,164.48 and thereafter transferred into NAHCON British SAAB Account in Saudi Arabia.
“The sum of USD 62,307,164.48 was converted to Saudi Riyal at the rate of N3,748, which amounted to the sum of SR 233,527,252.47.
“That the opening balance of the IBAN-E track for 2024 Hajj activities was SR 19,813,810.89 and has an inflow of SR 485,000,000.00 from NAHCON with a closing balance of SR 78,985,266.03.
“That the closing balance is inclusive of the SR20,637,908.23 refunded from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Saudi Arabia.
“That the total sum of SR 22, 815,367.74 was withdrawn cash from the British SAAB account by one Abubakar Muhammed Lamin in Saudi Arabia during the 2024 Hajj operation.
“The expected cash payment for services and allowances to staff and stakeholders is SR 14,905,910.47.
“That the total sum of SR 8,614,175.27 cash withdrawal is yet to be accounted for by NAHCON.”
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