THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained Commissioner of Policy, Personnel and Finance (PPMF), Aliu Abdulrazak; and that of Planning, Research, Statistics, Information and Library Services (PRSILS), Professor Abubakar A. Yagawal, of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), over alleged fraud.
The two commissioners, this newspaper reliably gathered from the anti-graft commission sources, were detained on Monday after honoring the anti-graft agency’s invitation.
The PPMF and PRSILS commissioners went to the EFCC headquarters around 11 am on Monday. At the time of filing this report on Tuesday morning, the two top officials are still with the anti-corruption agency in Abuja.
Last week, the Forum of Chief Executives of State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards/Agencies/Commissions, in a review meeting with NAHCON leadership in Abuja, unanimously described the 2025 Hajj conducted by the Chairman of the commission, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman (Pakistan) as a total failure plagued by alleged corruption.
This newspaper observed that of the 16 points raised by the forum, seven bothered on corruption allegations and financial infractions — which is now subject of investigation by the EFCC.
The two commissioners, insiders said, were also being investigated in connection with another alleged theft of funds that happened during the immediate past chairman Mr Ahmad Jalal Arabi.
Earlier this month, the EFCC had questioned other top officials of the commission that included Abdulmalik Diggi, a deputy director (accounts) and special adviser (general services) to the C/CEO; Sirajo Usman Salisu, deputy director in the chairman’s office; Barrister Nura Danladi, the commission’s legal adviser.
Findings by this newspaper further revealed that the anti-graft agency is probing the officials over N50 billion corruption allegations under the leadership of Professor Pakistan.
Sheikh Pakistan, who conducted only 2025 Hajj, is being accused of allegedly squandering N25 billion on Masha’ir tents, N1.6 billion on spouses, and N7.9 billion on Makkah contingency houses.
There are also allegations of extra-budgetary expenditure above the approval granted by the president for NAHCON officials, stakeholders, spouses, amounting N25 billion.
This newspaper couldn’t reach Mr Abdulrazak and Professor Yagawal by telephone on Tuesday morning. Their mobile phone lines were switched off. An official of the commission confirmed to this newspaper Monday night that, “As I am talking to you now, they are still with the EFCC,” he said without providing further details.
Some stakeholders and Hajj Commission staff members who spoke to this newspaper on the conditions that they would not be named, said to ensure transparency, the detained commissioners should be suspended forthwith.
“President Bola Tinubu should act quickly by disbanding the current NAHCON leadership and appoint a sole administrator with Hajj operational and administrative experiences to put the commission back to order,” they said.
The NAHCON workers, however, expressed happiness, praising “EFCC for its bold efforts in trying to take the commission back to its glorious days by stamping corruption out of it in all ramifications.”
Stakeholders have also urged the EFCC “to ensure a diligent investigation and prosecution that would not only recover the stolen funds but also make the indicted officials face the full wrath of the law.”
This newspaper reports that former chairmen Mr Zikirullah Kunle Hassan and Mr Arabi were granted bail by the EFCC after their investigation. An immediate past Commissioner of PPMF Nura Yakasai was also grilled and was released on bail.