The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained two senior officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) over allegations of fraud tied to the 2025 Hajj exercise.
Sources within the EFCC confirmed the arrests but withheld details of the sums involved. “They are with us. We asked them to return the money they took, but they have yet to do so. That is why they remain in our custody,” one source told our correspondent.
In a statement signed by Fatima Usara, Assistant Director of Information and Publication, on behalf of NAHCON Chairman Prof. Abdullahi Usman, the commission reaffirmed its commitment to accountability and cooperation with regulatory agencies. While it neither confirmed nor denied the detention of its officials, the statement emphasized that NAHCON would not shield any staff or process found culpable.
“This cooperation is a standing principle of the commission’s operations and its belief in due process and the rule of law. The commission would not shield any staff or process found wanting,” the statement read.
Usara urged the public and media to avoid speculation, stressing that the matter should be left for proper investigation. “We respectfully urge the public and especially the media to exercise restraint on speculations and allow the appropriate authorities to conclude their work in accordance with established procedures, without subjecting perhaps innocent persons to indignity through media trials. We are confident that whatever the truth is, it will emerge through the appropriate channels,” she said.
The commission added that it remains focused on post-Hajj evaluations and improving service delivery for future operations.
Efforts to reach EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale for comments were unsuccessful at press time.
This development comes less than a year after the EFCC invited former NAHCON Chairman Jalal Arabi in August 2024 over the alleged diversion of N90 billion in government subsidies for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage. Days later, the ICPC also arrested senior officials of the commission over the same fund, leading to Arabi’s dismissal by President Bola Tinubu in October 2024 and the appointment of Prof. Usman as his successor.
