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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released Jalal Arabi, the former Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, and Abdullahi Kontagora, the commission’s Secretary, on bail.
Arabi and Kontagora were detained by the EFCC over allegations of mismanagement and illegal diversion of the N90 billion 2024 Hajj intervention fund. Although bail was granted, their release was delayed by five days as they worked to meet the bail conditions.
On Wednesday, a source familiar with the matter informed The PRESS that both Arabi and Kontagora had finally fulfilled the required conditions. They were released from custody on Monday, though the investigation continues with no new recoveries beyond the initial 314,098 Saudi Riyals.
Efforts to reach Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesperson, were unsuccessful. He neither answered calls nor responded to messages seeking comment on the situation.
An earlier report by The PRESS on August 15 revealed that the EFCC’s investigation uncovered overpayments to Arabi and others from the N90bn Hajj subsidy, far exceeding necessary operational expenses. The EFCC has so far recovered 314,098 Saudi Riyals linked to the case, but a significant amount—SR 8,614,175.27—remains unaccounted for.
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The investigation also uncovered funds allocated as estacodes for staff who never attended planned study tours, along with payments to Shuraka’a al-Khair Group Ltd for services that were never rendered. Documents related to these transactions were found to be falsified, including a backdated approval by the Executive Chairman, used to justify a payment of SAR 780,019.59 to the group in April 2024.
The EFCC claims that Jalal Arabi admitted to paying the consultant despite receiving no services in return.
In a related development, President Bola Tinubu dismissed Jalal Arabi from his position on August 19, amid the ongoing investigation, and appointed Prof Abdullahi Usman as the new chairman of the commission.
