EFCC detains NAHCON chairman, others over N90B hajj subsidy fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission (NAHCO), Jalal Arabi, over over N90B hajj subsidy fraud.
The EFCC, in its investigation, alleged a series of fraudulent activities and theft amounting to hundreds of millions of Naira related to the 2024 Hajj subsidy.
According to the commission, the sum of N137 million in inflated estacode payments that the chairman had allegedly illicitly paid to himself and other officials, has been recovered.
Further investigations revealed that the same chairman had manipulated official documents, backdating them and inserting fraudulent provisions into the minutes of a meeting.
This cunning maneuver allowed him to authorize a payment of N778 million as consultancy fees to a non-existent contract.
The scandal deepens as it was discovered that out of the N90 billion allocated for the Hajj subsidy, the chairman instructed the withdrawal of N3.7 billion in cash, an amount that remains unaccounted for.
These revelations are just the tip of the iceberg, as further disclosures are expected to expose how contracts for pilgrims’ accommodation, transportation, and medical supplies were grossly inflated, affecting almost every aspect of the Hajj operations.
