President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, appointed Professor Abdullahi Usman as the Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, effectively sacking Jalal Arabi whom he appointed last October.

Arabi’s removal comes amid a N90 billion Hajj subsidy probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which has seen Arabi being grilled and detained. On August 16, the EFCC detained Arabi and NAHCON’s Secretary, Abdullahi Kontagora, over illegal withdrawals and the alleged mismanagement of the 2024 Hajj intervention fund.

A total of SR314,098 was recovered from the commission chairman and other ranking officials. The anti-graft agency discovered that, from the N90 billion Hajj subsidy, Arabi fraudulently overpaid himself and others above the necessary operational costs.

The new NAHCON Chief, Professor Abdullahi Usman, is described as “a renowned scholar with qualifications from two Islamic centers of excellence — the University of Madinah and Peshawar University, Pakistan.” He has also served as the Chairman of Kano State Pilgrims Board, successfully superintending the operations of the largest quota of state pilgrims in the country. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate, and the President expects the new NAHCON Chairman to “discharge his duties with integrity, transparency, and utmost fidelity to the nation”.