The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained Jalal Arabi, the Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), and Abdullahi Kontagora, the commission’s secretary, over allegations of mismanaging the N90 billion allocated for the 2024 Hajj subsidy.

An EFCC investigation revealed fraudulent overpayments from the subsidy funds, with Arabi allegedly inflating operational costs for himself and others. The agency has already recovered SR314,098 from the NAHCON chairman and senior officials.

The investigation also uncovered that substantial sums were withdrawn from NAHCON’s accounts during the 2024 Hajj operations, with a significant portion still unaccounted for. Additionally, the EFCC found backdated documents supporting fraudulent payments to a consultancy firm for services that were never rendered.

This comes after Arabi was previously questioned and released on bail in connection with the alleged mismanagement. The EFCC continues to investigate the case, which has led to the recovery of funds linked to fraudulent activities within the commission.