EFCC Detains Top NAHCON Officials Over Alleged ₦50bn Hajj Mismanagement

EFCC has reportedly detained top NAHCON Officials over alleged ₦50bn Hajj Mismanagement.

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained the Commissioner of Policy, Personnel, and Finance at the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Aliu Abdulrazak, alongside the Director of Finance and Accounts, Aminu Y. Muhammed.

According to reports, the two senior officials honoured an EFCC invitation at its Abuja headquarters around 11 a.m. on Monday but were still in custody as of late Monday night.

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Their detention comes amid mounting allegations of large-scale mismanagement in the conduct of the 2025 Hajj, which the Forum of Chief Executives of State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards/Agencies recently described as “a total failure” under NAHCON Chairman, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman.

Investigations reveal that Abdulrazak and Muhammed are also being probed for alleged fund diversion linked to the tenure of former NAHCON Chairman, Ahmad Jalal Arabi.

Last month, other top officials of the commission, including Abdulmalik Diggi (Deputy Director, Accounts), Sirajo Usman Salisu (Deputy Director, Chairman’s Office), and Barrister Nura Danladi (Legal Adviser), were also grilled by the EFCC over similar allegations.

The anti-graft agency is currently investigating alleged financial misconduct involving over ₦50 billion under Professor Usman, popularly known as “Pakistan.” He is accused of squandering ₦25 billion on Masha’ir tents, ₦1.6 billion on spouses, ₦7.9 billion on contingency houses in Makkah, and approving extra-budgetary expenditures amounting to another ₦25 billion for NAHCON officials, stakeholders, and their spouses.

Efforts to reach Abdulrazak and Muhammed on Monday night were unsuccessful as their mobile phones remained switched off. However, a senior NAHCON official confirmed their detention to Sahara Reporters.

Stakeholders have since called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently disband the current NAHCON leadership and appoint a sole administrator with proven Hajj operational and administrative experience to restore transparency and accountability.