N90bn Subsidy: EFCC Invites Hajj Commission Chair Over 2024 Exercise

The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Malam Jalal Arabi, has been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to Daily Trust, Arabi, who is expected to be at the office of the anti-graft agency today (Tuesday), will explain to the crack detectives of the EFCC how his commission spent N90bn subsidy provided for the 2024 exercise.

The report also noted that Arabi would provide detailed explanations on how NAHCON shared thousands of dollars allocated to it for the pilgrims.

It was learnt that the anti-graft agency would be quizzing the NAHCON boss over a series of petitions against him and the commission over alleged maltreatment of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia during the 2024 exercise.

“We’re doing our job as prescribed in law without minding whose ox is gored. In the EFCC, nothing concerns us with religion or tribe, what is important for us is to tame financial crimes and other fraudulent activities in our society.

“As of now, NAHCON chairman has been invited, he will meet our crack detectives to provide explanations on some issues that border on financial transactions,” one of the sources, who is familiar with the matter told Daily Trust.

When contacted on the phone Tuesday morning, the spokesman of EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said he would find out about the invitation and other details and revert. He was yet to do so at the time of filing this report.

Earlier on Monday, Arabi told journalists at a press briefing that every pilgrim that paid for the 2024 Hajj through the government quota was supported with the sum of N1.6 million due to the instability of the naira.