N90bn Probe: Former Hajj Commission Chair Released from EFCC Custody

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has released the sacked chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Jalal Arabi, and the commission’s secretary, Abdullahi Kontagora, on bail.

Arabi and Kontagora were detained over alleged illegal withdrawal and the mismanagement of the N90bn 2024 Hajj intervention fund.

They were, however, unable to meet their bail conditions and stayed in EFCC’s custody for five days.

But speaking with our correspondent on Wednesday, a source familiar with the matter stated that Arabi and Kontagora had met their bail conditions.

The source said they were released on Monday, adding that no further recovery had been made yet after the first 314,098 Saudi Riyal.

“The former Hajj Commission chairman and the secretary have been released, and the investigation is still ongoing. They were released on Monday after meeting their bail conditions. Nothing yet on the matter. No other recoveries except for the earlier ones,” the source said.

The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.

He did not pick up his calls and has yet to respond to a message sent to him on the matter.

In an exclusive report on August 15, The PUNCH reports that the EFCC’s investigation revealed that from the N90bn Hajj subsidy, Arabi fraudulently overpaid himself and others the necessary operational costs.

The anti-graft agency also said it had recovered 314,098 Saudi Riyal from Arabi and others in the course of the ongoing probe.

“The total sum of SR 8,614,175.27 cash withdrawal is yet to be accounted for by NAHCON, ” a document sighted by our correspondent stated.

Apart from the Hajj intervention fund,  an investigation into the commission’s activities since 2022 resulted in the recovery of estacodes paid to staff who did not undertake study tours and payments made to Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd for services that were not rendered.

Also, documents for payment of the consultancy services, including the Executive Chairman’s approval, were fraudulently backdated to January 23, 2024, to enable the payment of the sum of SAR 780, 019, 59 to Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd on April 14,  2024.

“The first suspect, Jalal Arabi, confessed that the consultant did not render any services, “ the EFCC alleged.

However, amid the EFCC’s probe, President Bola Tinubu sacked Arabi on August 19 and appointed Prof Abdullahi Usman as his replacement.