NAHCON chairman appears at EFCC over alleged mismanagement of 2024 N90bn Hajj fund

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has questioned the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Malam Jalal Arabi, over alleged mismanagement of 2024 Hajj fund.

Arabi arrived at the office of the anti-graft agency by 10am to answer questions from its investigators on how the commission spent N90billion subsidy provided for 2024 exercise.

There had been series of petitions against the chairman and his management team over fund mismanagement in the commission , especially the 2024 hajj exercise.

A source within the commission said that Arabi was at the EFCC to provide detailed explanations on how NAHCON shared the fund allocated to it for the pilgrims.

It was gathered that the investigation would go back to 2021 when the issue of fraud in the commission became messier.

Source disclosed that the director of procurement, director of finance and director of programme from the commission had been invited to explain what they know about the issue, they include.

He added, “Now today (Tuesday) the Chief Executive Officer is to explain how the fund allocated to the commission is being spent.

“The CEO has been invited he has honoured the invitation, he will go back, there is no reason keeping him in the custody when he is already complying.

“The new EFCC is operating in accordance with international best practice, you can see that most of the people invited are always allowed to go if they comply.”

EFCC promised to get back with comment about the invitation.