…Recovers 314,098 Saudi Riyal so far
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arrested and detained Alhaji Jala Arabi, the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria and the Alhaji Abdullahi Kontagora, commission’s secretary over alleged misappropriation of the N90bn granted as subsidy for the 2024 Hajj operations.
Following the arrest and detention, the EFCC probe led to the discovery that Arabi fraudulently paid himself and others dubious operational costs just as the anti-graft agency has so far recovered SR314,098 from Arabi, the NAHCON chairman and other top officials of the commission.
A document with the EFCC investigators showed that top officials of the commission on receipt of the N90bn Hajj subsidy, commenced a bazaar sharing of the money as the operational cost for the Chairman/CEO, Commissioners, Secretary and Directors and Chief of Staff suddenly quadrupled in the 2024.
The various figures indicated that the payment for the officials jumped to $15,300, $12, 750, $4,250, and $3,825
respectively.
It was gathered from sources closed to the EFCC discovered that Arabi, the chairman who was entitled to SR15,929 over paid himself by collecting SR50,000; while three commissioners who were entitled to received SR 15,929 were paid SR 40,000 each just as the Secretary to the Commission was paid SR 30,000 as against his entitlement of SR14,336. Similarly, Directors/Chief of Staff were paid SR 30,000 as against their entitled SR2,550.
So far, the EFCC has recovered SR314,098 from the officials as part of the bazaar they shared.
Arabi was quizzed by the EFCC on July 29 and later granted bail just as some top officials of the Hajj commission were arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission over alleged mismanagement or diversion of the N90bn subsidy.
A dependable source at the EFCC said; “The Chairman and Secretary of the Hajj Commission are presently in the custody of the anti-graft agency and are undergoing serious interrogations over the N90bn subsidy, among other allegations”.
One of the documents of the EFCC that was sighted, showed that SR 8,614,175.27 cash withdrawal out of the N90bn released by the Federal Government to the commission that is yet to be accounted for by the NAHCON officials.
The document states “The sum of N90bn was released by the Federal Government of Nigeria to the National Hajj Commission to subsidise the 2024 Hajj Operations by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The total sum of N1, 764,705,937.62 was deducted by the Central Bank of Nigeria as bank charges.
“The sum of N88, 235,294,063.72 was subsequently converted into United States dollars at the rate of N1,416.13, which amounted to USD 62,307,164.48 and thereafter transferred into NAHCON British SAAB Account in Saudi Arabia.
“The sum of USD 62,307,164.48 was converted to Saudi Riyal at the rate of N3,748, which amounted to the sum of SR 233,527,252.47.
“That the opening balance of the IBAN-E track for 2024 Hajj activities was SR 19,813,810.89 and has an inflow of SR 485,000,000.00 from NAHCON with a closing balance of SR 78,985,266.03.
“That the closing balance is inclusive of the SR20,637,908.23 refunded from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Saudi Arabia.
“That the total sum of SR 22, 815,367.74 was withdrawn cash from the British SAAB account by one Abubakar Muhammed Lamin in Saudi Arabia during the 2024 Hajj operation.
“The expected cash payment for services and allowances to staff and stakeholders is SR 14,905,910.47.
“That the total sum of SR 8,614,175.27 cash withdrawal is yet to be accounted for by NAHCON.”
In a related development, a further probe into NAHCON’s activities since 2022 resulted in the recovery of estacodes paid to staff who did not undertake study tours but for which payments were made to Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd for services that were not rendered.
It further states; “While investigation commenced on the criminal aspect which has led to the recovery of Estacodes paid to staff, who did not travel to Indonesia for study tour, also recoveries were made for services not rendered of the sum of SR 1,026,000.00 and SR 1,780,019.99, being purported 7.5% of consultancy paid to Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd for debt recover of the sum SR20, 637,908.23 from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Saudi Arabia.”
The document stated that all supporting documents for payment of the consultancy services, including the Executive Chairman’s approval, were fraudulently backdated to January 23, 2024, to enable the payment of the sum of SAR 780, 019, 59 to Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd on April 14, 2024.
“The first suspect, Jalal Arabi, confessed that the consultant did not render any services.
“A meeting of the Expanded Transitional Exco was held on 25th January 2024 with seven members and 18 staff in attendance but the payment of the consultancy services to Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd was not discussed.
“The commission’s secretary slotted the approval for the payment of the 7.5% consultancy to Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd in the minutes of the Expanded Transitional Exco meeting as item 10 under AOB to enable the perfection of the documentation to steal the funds.
“That the said sum of SR1,026,000.00, equivalent to about N430,920,000 Million, was also recovered from one Eastern Gulf Company Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
…Sourced from The Punch
