Cleric Debunks Claims of N1.64 Billion Expenditure on Staff Spouses for 2025 Hajj
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO – A Kano based Cleric Sheikh Doguwa Muhammad on Monday dismissed as false the allegation that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) spent over N1.64 billion on staff spouses during the 2025 Hajj exercise.
A statement by the faith based leader that was made available to Reporters in Kano explained that the latest report was part of a deliberate campaign to discredit the Commission and its leadership.
Sheikh Muhammad, in the statement said “My finding as a scholar of an organization and based on a sources within the NAHCON point to the direction of smear campaign.”
He said “The sensational claim that the Chairman lodged in a $1,000-a-night suite and brought 12 family members is entirely fabricated. NAHCON has no financial records—no receipts, no approvals—substantiating this”
“On the contrary, the Chairman personally funded his spouse’s travel through the standard channels, and no family member served in any official NAHCON capacity. Even the visa for his spouse was processed independently of the Commission.”
Sheik Doguwa stressed that “Equally misleading is the allegation that spouses occupied accommodations meant for pilgrims or officials. I do know that NAHCON has strict housing protocols monitored by designated teams, and any deviation is immediately corrected.”
He then stated that” To set the record straight, NAHCON’s policies do not permit the use of public funds for the travel or accommodation of staff spouses”
According to the Cleric “What exists is a clearly defined welfare arrangement approved by the Commission’s Board, which allows staff—many of whom are on assignment in Saudi Arabia for over a month—to voluntarily sponsor their spouses entirely at their own expense and at a skeletal rate.”
He maintained that ” The spouse package excludes major services such as accommodation in Makkah, meals, basic travel allowance (BTA), and inter-city transportation. “