The PUNCH learned on Wednesday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is currently holding Jalal Arabi, the executive chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, and Abdullahi Kontagora, the secretary of the commission, in custody due to allegations of mismanagement of the N90 billion 2024 Hajj subsidy.
The anti-graft agency stated in a document seen by our correspondent on Wednesday that “a total of SR314,098 was recovered” from the chairman of NAHCON and other high-ranking personnel.
According to the EFCC, its investigation showed that Arabi had falsely compensated himself and other parties the required operating costs out of the N90 billion Hajj subsidy.
The paper also states that the Chairman/CEO’s approved 2024 Hajj operating costs
The budget for 2024 specifies that the Commissioners, Secretary, Directors, and Chief of Staff will receive $4,250, $12,750, $3,825, and $15,300, respectively.
But according to the EFCC, the chairman falsely payed himself, the commissioners, the secretary, and the directors for the operating costs of the 2024 hajj.
“Three commissioners who were supposed to receive SR 15,929 apiece instead received SR 40,000; the chairman was entitled to SR 15,929 but received SR 50,000 instead. SR 30,000 was given to the secretary in lieu of SR 14,336. Directors and Chief of Staff should have gotten SR 2,550, but instead they were given SR $30,000. The sum of SR314,098 was recovered from them.
On July 29, Arabi was interrogated for hours by the anti-graft bureau before being granted bail.
Additionally, on Wednesday of last week, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission detained a few senior Hajj commission officials on suspicion of mismanaging or diverting the N90 billion subsidy.
Our correspondent was informed by an EFCC source on Wednesday that the NAHCON Chairman was again arrested and questioned.
The source, who spoke under anonymity as they were unable to speak on behalf of the commission, stated, “The Secretary and Chairman of the commission are in our custody and are facing serious interrogations on the N90bn subsidy, among other allegations.”
According to a document our correspondent exclusively obtained, SR 8,614,175.27 in cash was taken out of the N90 billion that the Federal Government gave the panel. This amount has not yet been reported by the commission.
“The National Hajj Commission was given N90 billion by the Federal Government of Nigeria to subsidize the Federal Government of Nigeria’s Hajj Operations in 2024,” the paper stated in part.The Central Bank of Nigeria withheld N1, 764,705,937.62 in total as bank charges.The amount of N88, 235,294,063.72 was then sent into the NAHCON British SAAB Account in Saudi Arabia after being translated into US dollars at the rate of N1,416.13. This amounted to USD 62,307,164.48.At a cost of N3,748 for every USD 62,307,164.48, the amount was translated to Saudi Riyal and became SR 233,527,252.47.
“That the opening balance of the IBAN-E track for 2024 Hajj activities was SR 19,813,810.89 and has an inflow of SR 485,000,000.00 from NAHCON with a closing balance of SR 78,985,266.03.
“That the closing balance is inclusive of the SR20,637,908.23 refunded from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Saudi Arabia.
“That the total sum of SR 22, 815,367.74 was withdrawn cash from the British SAAB account by one Abubakar Muhammed Lamin in Saudi Arabia during the 2024 Hajj operation.
“SR 14,905,910.47 is the anticipated cash payment for services and allowances to workers and stakeholders.
Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd. received payments for services that were never provided, and estacodes paid to staff members who did not go on study tours were retrieved as a consequence of an examination of the commission’s operations since 2022.
“As the criminal investigation was underway, recoveries were made for services not rendered of SR 1,026,000.00 and SR 1,780,019.99, being purportedly 7.5% of consultancy paid to Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd for debt recovery of the sum SR20, 637,908.23 from the Ministry of Hajj and Estacodes paid to staff who did not travel to Indonesia for a study tour.”
The document stated that all supporting 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.
“A meeting of the Expanded Transitional Exco was held on 25th January 2024 with seven members and 18 staff in attendance but the payment of the consultancy services to Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd was not discussed.
“The commission’s secretary slotted the approval for the payment of the 7.5% consultancy to Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd in the minutes of the Expanded Transitional Exco meeting as item 10 under AOB to enable the perfection of the documentation to steal the funds.
“That the said sum of SR1,026,000.00, equivalent to about N430,920,000 Million, was also recovered from one Eastern Gulf Company Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
