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A fresh scandal has hit the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) over the spending of more than ₦1.64 billion on 399 spouses of its staff during the 2025 Hajj exercise.
The sum was reportedly spent as subsidies for the spouses of 274 staff members, sparking outrage over how the funds were used for what is meant to be a religious obligation.
Subsidised Seats for Staff Spouses, Double Price for Regular Pilgrims
Public anger intensified after it emerged that while a Hajj seat was sold to staff spouses at ₦4.57 million, ordinary pilgrims were charged ₦8.7 million. The number of spouses, which nearly doubles the number of workers sponsored, has fueled suspicion that many of the slots were sold off to the highest bidders rather than genuinely allocated to staff families.
Investigations revealed that NAHCON policy entitles each staff member selected for Hajj operations to sponsor one spouse, with top management and board members (about 20 in total) sometimes allowed two.
By this rule, the number of sponsored spouses should not exceed 294. However, official NAHCON documents listing names, passport numbers, and contact details of the supposed spouses showed major discrepancies — in many cases, the listed spouses’ names did not match those of the staff members.
Sources say the spouse package was originally designed to support staff, who spend 35 to 40 days in Saudi Arabia without their partners, by providing a discounted Hajj package without certain components. The intention was to let staff bring their spouses through legitimate means, not fraud.
Documents reviewed by SaharaReporters show that the spouse package excludes items such as Makkah accommodation, Makkah feeding, BTA (Basic Travel Allowance), and Madina feeding — costs which staff are expected to cover from their allowances (estacode).
06 32KG SLIP 2025 – SPOUSES.pdf
Widespread Abuse of ‘Spouse Policy’
Further findings have revealed that between 2006 and 2020, under the first, second, and third boards led by Mallam Musa Bello and Barrister Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad, there was strict adherence to the definition of “spouse.”
During this period, only a staff member’s wife and children qualified, and each staff member was allocated just one slot—except for executive members, who received additional slots.
It was during the tenure of the fourth board (2020–2023), led by Mr. Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, that the policy began to deviate from the standard set by previous boards. Under his leadership, relatives and family friends were permitted under the guise of being spouses. This opened the door for staff to sell spouse slots, fully aware that these packages lacked the full components of a regular pilgrim package. The result was that many of these so-called spouses ended up stranded in Makkah without accommodation or basic travel allowance (BTA).
During Mr. Zikrullah’s tenure, staff members below the directorate level were allocated one slot each, while those at the directorate level received three slots, and executive members got five slots. A retired officer who served through the first to the fourth boards told this newspaper that it was during Mr. Zikrullah’s leadership that the policy was first “bastardized”—a situation that persists today.
From 2023 to 2024, under the fifth board chaired by Mr. Jalal Ahmed Arabi, the policy was partly restored to the model of the earlier boards. Only immediate family members and siblings were initially allowed, though this was later extended to include in-laws. Staff below the directorate cadre were given one slot each, while those at directorate level received two slots.
However, from 2024 to 2025, under the current board led by Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, there is no clear policy on spouse allocation. This has resulted in a free-for-all, with staff selling slots indiscriminately. Staff below level 10 were allocated one slot each; those between levels 12 and 14 received two slots; assistant directors were given three slots; deputy directors, four; and directors, seven.
A cost analysis conducted by this newspaper shows that, given the estacode and the price of spouse slots, very few staff members can genuinely afford to sponsor more than one spouse.
For the 2025 Hajj, the cost of a spouse allocation was ₦4,570,546.56. Meanwhile, the estacode entitlements for staff at various levels were as follows: Levels 1–6 received $250 per day for 30 days, totaling $7,500 (approximately ₦11,250,000); levels 7–14 were entitled to $381 per day for 30 days, totaling $11,430 (approximately ₦17,145,000) and levels 15–17 received $425 per day for 30 days, totalling $12,750 (approximately ₦19,125,000).
The implication of the cost breakdown is as follows: Officers on Levels 1–6 would have a balance of ₦6,679,453.44 after deducting the cost of one spouse slot; officers on Levels 7–10 would be left with ₦12,574,453.44 after paying for one spouse slot; officers on Levels 12–14 would retain ₦8,003,906.88 after covering the cost of two spouse slots; level 15 officers would be left with ₦5,413,360.32 after paying for three spouse slots and officers on Levels 16–17 would have only ₦842,813.76 remaining after covering the cost of four spouse slots.
This analysis suggests that officers on Levels 1–14 could reasonably afford to pay for their own participation and still have enough funds left for accommodation in Makkah and basic upkeep for themselves and their accompanying spouses.
However, Level 15 officers (assistant directors) would face significant financial strain. With the cheapest Makkah accommodation costing around SR2,000 (about ₦800,000) per person, the total for themselves and three spouses would amount to approximately ₦3,204,272.36. This would leave just about ₦2,209,087.96 (roughly SR5,515.36) for the upkeep of four people over 30 days—clearly insufficient for a comfortable stay.
For Level 16–17 officers, the cost analysis shows they could not realistically cover the expense of four spouse slots and still have any meaningful funds left for accommodation or daily upkeep—raising serious questions about how they managed during the pilgrimage.
A detailed review of the spouse list revealed striking cases. For instance, a director, Alidu Shutti (Level 17), reportedly brought five spouses to the 2025 Hajj, at a total cost of ₦22,852,732.80. This exceeded his total estacode of ₦19,125,000.00, leaving a deficit of ₦3,727,732.80. Similarly, Wafiyya Mustapha (Level 15) sponsored five spouses, incurring the same deficit.
The same applied to Mustapha Abbass (Level 15). These negative balances raise puzzling questions about how these staff members and their spouses managed to survive for 30 days in Saudi Arabia—and how they still managed to return home with leftover funds.
In the case of NAHCON spokesperson Fatima Sanda Usara (Level 15), she reportedly sponsored four “spouses” at a total cost of ₦18,282,186.24, leaving her with just ₦842,813.76 out of her total estacode of ₦19,125,000.00. Similarly, Mohammed Yarabba (Level 17) was left with the same meagre ₦842,813.76 after paying for four spouse slots at the same cost.
Further checks revealed that this remaining balance of ₦842,813.76 was grossly insufficient to cover accommodation, feeding, and other expenses for both the officers and their accompanying spouses for the 30-day pilgrimage—not to mention any savings to return with.
Anonymous Spouses and Extravagant Spending
This newspaper’s investigation also uncovered that over 30 spouse slots on the list were linked to no identifiable staff member. According to insiders, these “anonymous” spouse slots belonged to the chairman and his permanent commissioners. For example, it was alleged that Professor Usman brought along 12 spouses to the holy land, including his two wives and six sons. He reportedly occupies four rooms at the Makkah Hilton Suites at a cost of about $1,000 per night, amounting to $120,000 for 30 days. This figure far exceeds his estacode, which insiders say is about $1,000 per day, totaling roughly $35,000 for 35 days.
Sources within the commission further alleged that the chairman appointed his wives, sons, and other family members to various NAHCON committees—including the Ulema and Stakeholders committees—solely to enable them earn allowances. These acts of nepotism and self-enrichment, they say, are unprecedented in the history of the commission, even under his two predecessors. Beyond this, the chairman allegedly brought along his biological brother, son, and nephew, assigning them roles as personal assistant and special advisers.
How the Fraud Works: Sale of Slots and Pilgrim Hardship
Multiple officers at the commission admitted to this newspaper that over the years, the staff spouse policy has been severely abused by many within the organisation.
“The spouse list was bloated to enable staff to make some cool cash – nothing else,” an official who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
“The spouse slots are sold off at par with pilgrim packages (N8.7 million) despite not having all components intentionally. Many unsuspecting individuals have fallen victim to this scheme perpetrated by some staff members and commissioners of the commission. They are stranded in Makkah with no accommodation, no feeding and no BTA,” one of the NAHCON officials lamented.
Most of the spouses occupied accommodations originally meant for state pilgrims’ boards in Makkah, as well as those provided by NAHCON for its officials.
“Instead of securing accommodation for their wives or husbands as expected, the majority of NAHCON officers bring them to stay within the hotels provided for officials by NAHCON, raising moral and cultural questions,” a NAHCON official lamented.
“Staff members go round to scout for interested individuals, collect between N8 million and N8.5 million to secure the spouse slots and keep the balance,” one official said.
Another staff member said, “An analysis of the spouse list reveals the glaring dichotomy in the names. More than two-thirds of the people on the list don’t correspond with the names of the staff members. It is shamefully sad.”
An internal NAHCON circular dated May 6, 2025, titled “Submission of Draft Payment for Spouse Application” and signed by Mohammad Aminu Y., Director of Finance and Accounts, stated that the commission would deduct the cost of spouse slots directly from the estacode of any staff member who failed to make payment before the commencement of the Hajj operation.
Findings revealed that the spouse slot covers only three services namely: Air ticket, visa and Madinah accommodation. Stakeholders are wondering who paid for the Masha’ir services (Tents, feeding and transport in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah), as well as Makkah accommodation, feeding and transport services from Madinah to Makkah, Makkah to Masha’ir and back to Makkah and Makkah to Jeddah.
Insiders told this newspaper that the spouses took over accommodations in Makkah meant for pilgrims, as well as hotel rooms reserved for NAHCON officials, including the Ulema, staff, medical team, media team, and other stakeholders.
“They invaded the accommodation and ate up pilgrims’ food,” one of the staff members said.
A conservative estimate by this newspaper, based on the 2025 NAHCON-approved Hajj package, indicates that the commission may have spent a staggering ₦512,673,200 on accommodation for 400 spouses in Makkah—at a rate of 3,000 Saudi riyal (₦1,280,683) per pilgrim—despite the fact that this expense was unauthorized. In addition, local transportation for these 400 spouses, at 1,132 Saudi riyal (₦483,564) per person, amounted to another ₦193,425,600 in unauthorized spending.
Altogether, for the three services to which these spouses were not entitled—Makkah accommodation, feeding in Makkah for 35 days, and local transportation—the commission appears to have illegally spent nearly ₦1 billion. This figure excludes the additional 2 percent CBN commission charge associated with payments for the 400 spouses.
“Is this amount captured in the approved 2025 offshore budget of the commission? Since the services are not statutorily legal for the spouses, who approved the expenditure? That is why I said the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) must uncover these infractions. Nobody is allowed to spend public funds without requisite authorisation,” a staff member said.
Calls for EFCC Probe and Forensic Audit
Insiders are urging the EFCC to carry out a forensic audit of NAHCON’s accounts to determine the amount that staff remitted to the commission in Naira before the Hajj. They also want the EFCC to investigate how much was deducted by the commission in dollars and how much was retained by the commission itself. Additionally, they stress the need for the EFCC to urgently confirm whether the remitted and deducted funds were actually deposited into the commission’s account and whether those funds are still intact or have already been spent.
“The EFCC’s audit would deepen transparency and ensure that the funds are not misappropriated or squandered,” one of the officials said.
The insiders urged the anti-graft agency to investigate the reported abuse of the spouse slot policy, where officers who were entitled to just one or two slots allegedly secured as many as five or ten. They stressed that these infractions must be thoroughly probed and those responsible held accountable.
Efforts by SaharaReporters to reach Fatima Sanda Usara, NAHCON’s Assistant Director of Information and Publications, for comment on the policy abuse were unsuccessful, as her mobile line was unreachable, suggesting she may not have returned to the country.
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