The Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has questioned a senior official of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
The NAHCON official, whose full details have not been released, was arrested by ICPC officers at his office on Wednesday. He has since been released on bail.
Some media reports indicated that ICPC operatives raided the NAHCON headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the use of the N90 billion subsidy given to the commission by the federal government for the 2024 Hajj.
ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare confirmed the visit of the agency's agents to NAHCON in a telephone conversation with PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.
But he said the visit was not a raid.
According to him, ICPC agents visited NAHCON to pick up a senior official who failed to comply with an investigation extended to all directors of the Hajj commission for questioning.
“Our team visited the office on what could be described as a friendly visit,” Bakare said, declining to give further details.
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He said the NAHCON official, NAHCON Procurement Director, whose further details are yet to be verified by our reporter, has been granted bail after answering questions.
Anti-graft agencies have scrutinized the N90 billion Hajj subsidy given to NAHCON by the federal government for the 2024 Hajj.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invited NAHCON Chairman Jalal Arabi for questioning over the funds in July.
In May, President Bola Tinubu approved the release of a N90 billion subsidy for the 2024 Hajj.
In July, some northern governors expressed concern about the management of the subsidy.
NACON reacts
Our reporter visited NAHCON headquarters on Friday. The atmosphere in the office was calm.
NAHCON Deputy Director of Public Affairs Fatima usara told our reporter at her office that ICPC agents did not raid the NAHCON office as reported. She said ICPC agents only went for the NAHCON Procurement boss after he failed to comply with the anti-graft agency’s earlier invitation.
He said ICPC agents asked the man to accompany them for questioning.
“First of all, it’s a lie,” he said of the alleged raid on the commission’s office. “You can check with our neighbors if this place was ransacked. All our directors are here working and I can prove it to you,” said Usara.
He also said that the EFCC did not invite the NAHCON chairman over suspicions of mismanagement of the N90 billion Hajj subsidy. He said it was an annual routine for the EFCC to ask NAHCON to account for its post-Hajj disbursements.
NAHCON President's Post-Hajj Briefing
At a post-Hajj press conference on July 29, NAHCON Chairman Mr. Arabi said a significant portion of the N90 billion was allocated to cover the payment gaps of pilgrims.
Detailed allocation of the 2024 Hajj Intervention Fund of N90 billion
“The federal government gave us a subsidy of N90 billion, which we used to meet the sharp rise in Hajj costs due to the high dollar exchange rate. The cost per seat exceeded N9 million, and we intervened to ease the burden on the pilgrims,” Mr. Arabi explained.
He also said that the commission held meetings with representatives of all states to address the issue.
He said the commission provided a subsidy of N1.6 million to 50,000 pilgrims.
Detailed allocation of the 2024 Hajj Intervention Fund of N90 billion
“We supplemented the remaining N1.6 million for each of the over 50,000 pilgrims to ensure that their Hajj journey was not disrupted,” he said.
The N1.6 billion grant for 50,000 pilgrims rose to N80 billion, leaving a balance of N10 billion out of the N90 billion grant received from the Federal Government.
Mr. Arabi said the remaining funds had been prudently used for other logistical purposes, but did not provide a detailed breakdown of how the balance was used.
He noted that NAHCON, unlike other commissions, does not receive regular grants from the federal government apart from salary allowances. Despite this, Mr. Arabi said NAHCON remains committed to providing high-quality services to pilgrims.