The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained Mr. Sirajo Salisu Usman, brother of the Chairman and CEO of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman (also known as Pakistan), over alleged fraud involving billions of naira.
Sirajo was arrested on Wednesday afternoon by EFCC operatives in Abuja. He had previously been questioned earlier this month alongside other senior officials of the commission.
Sources within the EFCC revealed that Mr. Usman, nicknamed “ka fi chairman” by colleagues—roughly meaning “de facto NAHCON Chairman”—spent the night in EFCC custody in Abuja.
A biological brother of Professor Pakistan, Mr. Sirajo currently serves as Deputy Director in the Chairman’s Office at NAHCON.
“The chairman’s brother is still in EFCC detention as of 12 p.m. on Thursday,” a source inside the Hajj COMMISSION confirmed.
Multiple sources said Mr. Sirajo Salisu Usman’s arrest is linked to the EFCC’s ongoing investigation into the alleged loss of over N50 billion in public funds under the leadership of Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman (Pakistan).
Reports indicate that during the 2025 Hajj alone, the commission, under Professor Pakistan, allegedly squandered N25 billion on Masha’ir tents, N1.6 billion on spouses, and N8 billion on Makkah contingency houses, among other expenditures.
On August 19, the EFCC also detained NAHCON’s Commissioner of Policy, Personnel and Finance (PPMF), Aliu Abdulrazak, and the Commissioner of Planning, Research, Statistics, Information, and Library Services (PRSILS), Professor Abubakar A. Yagawal, over alleged fraud.
Earlier, on August 7, other senior officials—including Abdulmalik Diggi, Deputy Director (Accounts) and Special Adviser (General Services) to the CEO; Barrister Nura Danladi, the commission’s Legal Adviser; and Mr. Sirajo—were questioned by the anti-graft agency.
Insiders say the EFCC is also investigating cases of inflated spending by NAHCON officials, stakeholders, and spouses, which reportedly amounts to about N4 billion….’’
Sources further confirmed that Mr. Sirajo has been central to the financial scandals at the commission since his brother’s appointment, accused of granting approvals without the knowledge of the chairman.
“Mr Sirajo is a powerful force in the commission. This is an open secret. He derives his power from the chairman’s lack of capacity in reading and understanding the English Language,” a top official said.
Another NAHCON official corroborated it, saying that “Mr Sirajo translates and helps treat official memos and other communications for the chairman”.
“That is the advantage he takes in micromanaging everyone in the commission,” the source said.
“Mr Sirajo is the one making comments on all the NAHCON memos. Mr Pakistan only affirms his signature. That is why staff members are urging the EFCC to conduct a forensic investigation of all the approvals granted by Mr Pakistan,” another official said.
A staff member knowledgeable about the case said, “It was Mr Sirajo who singlehandedly secured the 6,500 contingency bed spaces in Makkah that were never used, leading to the loss of N8 billion.
“This is one of the cases EFCC is investigating now. He is at the centre of all the cases being investigated by the EFCC.”
Sooth News gathered how the commission under Mr Pakistan wasted at least N8 billion on 6,200 “contingency bed spaces” for non-existent pilgrims in Makkah during the 2025 Hajj.
Contrary to NAHCON spokesperson Fatima Usara’s claims that the detention of the official was “a routine operation,” sources stated that the EFCC is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the 2025 Hajj operation.
