The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released Jalal Arabi, the dismissed Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), and the commission’s Secretary, Abdullahi Kontagora, on bail.
Arabi and Kontagora had been detained for five days over allegations of illegal withdrawals and mismanagement of the N90 billion 2024 Hajj intervention fund.
A source familiar with the situation confirmed on Wednesday that both Arabi and Kontagora were released on Monday after meeting their bail conditions.
However, no additional recoveries have been made beyond the initial 314,098 Saudi Riyals seized during the investigation.
“The former Hajj Commission chairman and the secretary have been released, and the investigation is still ongoing,” the source revealed. “Nothing yet on the matter.
No other recoveries except for the earlier ones.”
The EFCC’s probe reportedly uncovered that Arabi had fraudulently overpaid himself and others from the Hajj subsidy fund.
The investigation also led to the recovery of estacodes and payments made for services that were never rendered.
In response to the ongoing investigation, President Bola Tinubu dismissed Arabi on August 19, appointing Professor Abdullahi Usman as his successor.
Despite repeated attempts, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale was unavailable for comment on the matter
