T
he Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested several top officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) over allegations of mismanagement and diversion of the N90 billion subsidy allocated by the Federal Government for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
The officials were apprehended at their offices after failing to respond to prior invitations from the ICPC. Upon their arrival at the anti-graft agency’s office, they were subjected to lengthy interrogations regarding the handling of the Hajj subsidy.
A source within the ICPC, speaking anonymously due to a lack of official clearance to address the media, confirmed the arrests and the ongoing investigation.
“On Wednesday, some of our officers visited the NAHCON office to bring in certain officials who had ignored our previous invitations. These officials are under investigation following petitions concerning the management of the subsidy for pilgrims,” the source disclosed.
Confirming the incident, the ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, stated that the officials were indeed brought in for questioning and later released after meeting their bail conditions.
“Yes, they were in our office; they were released after granting them bail and met their bail conditions. They are top officials, but their chairman is not included, please. Investigations continue,” Bakare noted.
Bakare also clarified that the ICPC did not shut down NAHCON's office, countering rumors that had circulated.
“We didn’t shut down the commission as being speculated. We only went there for officials who failed to honor our invitation,” he explained.
The arrest of these officials comes on the heels of a similar investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which on Tuesday questioned NAHCON Chairman, Jalal Arabi, regarding the same N90 billion Hajj subsidy. The investigation was triggered by allegations of fund mismanagement raised by Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, prompting the National Assembly to initiate a probe into NAHCON's handling of the subsidy.
Despite these allegations, Arabi, in a post-Hajj press conference held in Abuja on July 29, maintained that the funds were used transparently. He explained that each pilgrim received a subsidy of N1,637,369.87, with the exception of those under the Hajj Savings Scheme, who benefited more.
“Each pilgrim was supported with N1,637,369.87 from the N90bn except for pilgrims under the Hajj Savings Scheme who enjoyed more. Hence, all registered intending pilgrims, except those on HSS, were required to pay a balance of N1,918,094.87 since the N90bn was not sufficient to make up for the balance,” Arabi asserted.
As the investigation unfolds, the spotlight remains on NAHCON and its officials, with the public and the National Assembly keenly observing how the commission addresses these serious allegations.
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