Tinubu fires NAHCON chair, Arabi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fired Jalal Arabi, as Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON). Ajuri Ngelale, Presidential spokesman, disclosed this in a statement in which he announced Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman as the new chairman of the agency.
“Professor Usman is a renowned scholar with qualifications from two Islamic centres of excellence - the University of Madinah and Peshawar University, Pakistan.
“He is also well-grounded in Hajj operations, having served as the Chairman of Kano State Pilgrims Board, and successfully superintended the operations of the largest quota of state pilgrims in the country.
“The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate. The President expects the new Chairman of NAHCON to discharge his duties with integrity, transparency, and utmost fidelity to the nation.”
Arabi, who was appointed in October, ran into trouble over the 2024 Hajj.
How EFCC’s insider, aggrieved NAHCON staff members exposed alleged fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered a multimillion-dollar fraud allegedly perpetrated by top officials of NAHCON. The anti-graft agency’s discoveries came from an extensive investigation into the suspicious use of funds allocated to NAHCON for Hajj operations over the years.
The details of the EFCC’s findings emerged from an investigation report newly obtained by PREMIUM TIMES. A review of the document, first reported by PUNCH newspaper, revealed that the EFCC’s investigation dates back to 2022 after an operative of the anti-graft agency, who served on the NAHCON Central Security Committee that year, hinted at several infractions in the use of the Hajj commission’s funds.
Some of the irregularities highlighted in an intelligence report submitted by the EFCC insider after the stint on the NAHCON security committee include the payment of estacodes to staff for a study tour that never took place and payment for a consultancy service that was not rendered, among others.
Subsequently, the EFCC said it wrote to NAHCON, highlighting lapses in its administrative process and providing necessary advice while also investigating the lead its operatives provided.
The document said that along with the unnamed EFCC operative’s intelligence report, the anti-corruption agency also received petitions from some concerned NAHCON staff members. The EFCC received seven petitions from the staff members against their chairman, Jalal Arabi, and the commission’s secretary, Abdullahi Kotangora.
The agency’s investigation also named Haruna Magaji as a suspect. We have yet to ascertain his relationship with NAHCON.
The intelligence report alleged “a multimilliondollar case of conspiracy, misappropriation and mismanagement of pilgrims funds paid for the 2022 Hajj operation” by top officials of NAHCON.
The anti-graft agency said that while investigating these allegations, it received another petition against the current NAHCON chair, Mr Arabi.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Arabi had been detained since Wednesday. This was after the anti-graft agency grilled him and released him on bail on 29 July.