The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and financial crimes commission has detained The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Jalal Arabi, and the commission’s secretary, Abdullahi Kontagora over illegal withdrawal and the alleged mismanagement of the N90bn 2024 Hajj intervention fund.

It was gathered that a total ofSR314,098 was recovered from the commision chairman, Malam Arabi and other ranking officials.

The EFCC said its investigation revealed that from the N90bn Hajj subsidy, Arabi, fraudulently overpaid himself and others the necessary operational cost.

Also according to the document, the approved 2024 Hajj operational cost for the Chairman/CEO Commissioners, Secretary and Directors/Chief of Staff in the 2024 budget are stipulated as $4,250, $12,750, $3,825 and $15,300, respectively.

The EFCC, however, alleged that: “The chairman fraudulently overpaid himself, the commissioners, secretary and directors for the 2024 hajj operational cost.

“The chairman was entitled to SR15,929 but he got SR50,000; three commissioners who were meant to get SR 15,929 each received SR 40,000 each. The secretary got SR 30,000 instead of SR14,336.

Directors/Chief of Staff received SR 30,000 instead of the SR2,550 they were entitled to. The total of SR314,098 were recovered from all of them.”

The anti-graft agency had first grilled Arabi for hours on July 29 and released him on bail.

Also, last week Wednesday, some top officials of the Hajj commission were arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission over alleged mismanagement or diversion of the N90bn subsidy.

On Wednesday, a source told our correspondent that the NAHCON Chairman was grilled again on Wednesday and was detained.