Features
UN-IPC Nigeria Commission decries media reports amid EFCC review of 2025 Hajj operations
Written By: Emmanuel Ikhenebome
22 Aug 2025 08:39 PM
Abuja, Nigeria – The UN-IPC Nigeria mission, has raised concerns over what it describes as a deliberate and orchestrated media campaign aimed at tarnishing the reputation of top management of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, particularly its federal commissioner of Finance, Strategy, and Planning, Mallam Aliu Abdulrazak.
The Nigeria mission's reaction comes in the wake of ongoing financial reviews by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into NAHCON’s 2025 Hajj operations, which some media outlets have allegedly sensationalized.
In a statement issued on Friday by its head of Directorate of media and Publicity, Haruna Braimoh, the Nigeria mission condemned certain media houses, specifically naming Sahara Reporters, Leadership, and Punch Newspapers, for publishing what it calls misleading and injurious reports about the commission’s financial activities.
The statement which corroborated NAHCON's earlier call on the media and the public to exercise restraint in reporting unverified allegations, emphasized that as a law-abiding federal government institution, the commission operates under strict regulations and adheres to global best practices in managing Hajj operations.
It noted that routine reviews by anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) are standard practice following each Hajj exercise.
“What is disturbing is the deliberate attempt by some media outlets to drag the names of our top officials, particularly Mallam Aliu Abdulrazak, into disrepute with sensational write-ups.
“We urge the public and the media to exercise restraint and allow the EFCC to carry out its routine review with fairness, justice, and equity, without succumbing to orchestrated misinformation.”, the statement read
The EFCC’s review follows reports of alleged financial misconduct involving over ₦50 billion in the 2025 Hajj operations, with some stakeholders describing the exercise as a “total failure” under NAHCON’s current leadership.
However, NAHCON maintains that such allegations are unverified and that the media should allow due process to take its course.
As the EFCC investigation continues, NAHCON has reaffirmed its focus on post-Hajj evaluations and improving service delivery for future operations, urging all stakeholders to support its efforts to ensure a seamless and spiritually fulfilling Hajj experience for Nigerian pilgrims.
Read the full UN-IPC Nigeria mission statement below:
RE- NAHCON HAJJ 2025 ACTIVITIES REVIEW BY THE EFCC AND THE DELIBERATE WELL ORCHESTRATED MEDIA ATTEMPT TO MISLEAD NIGERIANS EVEN AS REVIEW IS ONGOING BY SOME UNPROFESSIONAL MEDIA OUTLETS (SAHARA REPORTER AND LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPERS).
"There is a higher court than the court of Justice and that's the court of conscience!! It override everything else "~ Mahatma Ghandi.
Over the Past few days, there seems to have been a deliberate well planned media onslaught on the top management team of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
This conclusion of Presumptive stand is born out of the fact that I some selected media house especially in the print media have deliberately be publishing misleading information regarding the financial activities of the commission regarding the 2025 Hajj Operation.
As a law abiding organization of the federal government of Nigeria the commission is bound by the rules of due process and laws in carrying out it well regulated activities and in line with best practices across the world and as such, statutory anti corruption agencies like the ICPC and the EFCC who are empowered by law to review the financial dealings of the commission especially after every Hajj operation/Exercise are not new in the system of operation of NAHCON.
What's now disturbing in the print media from outlets like the "SAHARA REPORTERS, LEADERSHIP &PUNCH NEWSPAPER", however, it is the deliberate attempt to drag the names of some top officials of the commission into disrepute with sensational write up that are obviously injurious to their personalities especially that of the Federal Commissioner of Finance, strategy and Planning, Mallam Aliyu Abdulrasak.
Like the commission maintained, there is the need for a more responsible approach from the media in allowing the EFCC carry out it routine review of the financial activities of the commission with all sense of fairness, justice and equity with the seemingly orchestrated media misinformation going on at the moment.
It should be of note that every aspect of NAHCON management is well regulated by laws creating and enabling it operation and every financial activities of the commission is well regulated and transparently been handled in the last two years under the structural leadership of Mallam Aliyu Abdulrasak.
This is a Man that's driven innovations in strategies of Hajj operation, Professionalism in Hajj Planning/Execution and transparency with fiscal discipline that resulted in the making of refunds during the 2024 Hajj operation with full disclosure of the financial gains from the Hajj support of Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
While we earnestly await the completion of the ongoing financial activities review of the commission by the relevant agency (EFCC) we want to urge the public to disregard the deliberate misinformation and malicious media narrative being peddled by some "Fake News" Outlets especially the online media media platform called "SAHARA REPORTERS"
To this end, Mallam Aliyu Abdulrasak should continue to remain steadfast, dedicative and committed more than ever in the discharge of his official responsibility responsibility to Muslims Ulama in Particular and Nigeria in General.
From::
Comrade Haruna Braimoh,
Directorate of media and Publicity (UN-IPC) Nigeria mission office.
Maitama-Abuja.
The Nigeria mission's reaction comes in the wake of ongoing financial reviews by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into NAHCON’s 2025 Hajj operations, which some media outlets have allegedly sensationalized.
In a statement issued on Friday by its head of Directorate of media and Publicity, Haruna Braimoh, the Nigeria mission condemned certain media houses, specifically naming Sahara Reporters, Leadership, and Punch Newspapers, for publishing what it calls misleading and injurious reports about the commission’s financial activities.
The statement which corroborated NAHCON's earlier call on the media and the public to exercise restraint in reporting unverified allegations, emphasized that as a law-abiding federal government institution, the commission operates under strict regulations and adheres to global best practices in managing Hajj operations.
It noted that routine reviews by anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) are standard practice following each Hajj exercise.
“What is disturbing is the deliberate attempt by some media outlets to drag the names of our top officials, particularly Mallam Aliu Abdulrazak, into disrepute with sensational write-ups.
“We urge the public and the media to exercise restraint and allow the EFCC to carry out its routine review with fairness, justice, and equity, without succumbing to orchestrated misinformation.”, the statement read
The EFCC’s review follows reports of alleged financial misconduct involving over ₦50 billion in the 2025 Hajj operations, with some stakeholders describing the exercise as a “total failure” under NAHCON’s current leadership.
However, NAHCON maintains that such allegations are unverified and that the media should allow due process to take its course.
As the EFCC investigation continues, NAHCON has reaffirmed its focus on post-Hajj evaluations and improving service delivery for future operations, urging all stakeholders to support its efforts to ensure a seamless and spiritually fulfilling Hajj experience for Nigerian pilgrims.
Read the full UN-IPC Nigeria mission statement below:
RE- NAHCON HAJJ 2025 ACTIVITIES REVIEW BY THE EFCC AND THE DELIBERATE WELL ORCHESTRATED MEDIA ATTEMPT TO MISLEAD NIGERIANS EVEN AS REVIEW IS ONGOING BY SOME UNPROFESSIONAL MEDIA OUTLETS (SAHARA REPORTER AND LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPERS).
"There is a higher court than the court of Justice and that's the court of conscience!! It override everything else "~ Mahatma Ghandi.
Over the Past few days, there seems to have been a deliberate well planned media onslaught on the top management team of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
This conclusion of Presumptive stand is born out of the fact that I some selected media house especially in the print media have deliberately be publishing misleading information regarding the financial activities of the commission regarding the 2025 Hajj Operation.
As a law abiding organization of the federal government of Nigeria the commission is bound by the rules of due process and laws in carrying out it well regulated activities and in line with best practices across the world and as such, statutory anti corruption agencies like the ICPC and the EFCC who are empowered by law to review the financial dealings of the commission especially after every Hajj operation/Exercise are not new in the system of operation of NAHCON.
What's now disturbing in the print media from outlets like the "SAHARA REPORTERS, LEADERSHIP &PUNCH NEWSPAPER", however, it is the deliberate attempt to drag the names of some top officials of the commission into disrepute with sensational write up that are obviously injurious to their personalities especially that of the Federal Commissioner of Finance, strategy and Planning, Mallam Aliyu Abdulrasak.
Like the commission maintained, there is the need for a more responsible approach from the media in allowing the EFCC carry out it routine review of the financial activities of the commission with all sense of fairness, justice and equity with the seemingly orchestrated media misinformation going on at the moment.
It should be of note that every aspect of NAHCON management is well regulated by laws creating and enabling it operation and every financial activities of the commission is well regulated and transparently been handled in the last two years under the structural leadership of Mallam Aliyu Abdulrasak.
This is a Man that's driven innovations in strategies of Hajj operation, Professionalism in Hajj Planning/Execution and transparency with fiscal discipline that resulted in the making of refunds during the 2024 Hajj operation with full disclosure of the financial gains from the Hajj support of Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
While we earnestly await the completion of the ongoing financial activities review of the commission by the relevant agency (EFCC) we want to urge the public to disregard the deliberate misinformation and malicious media narrative being peddled by some "Fake News" Outlets especially the online media media platform called "SAHARA REPORTERS"
To this end, Mallam Aliyu Abdulrasak should continue to remain steadfast, dedicative and committed more than ever in the discharge of his official responsibility responsibility to Muslims Ulama in Particular and Nigeria in General.
From::
Comrade Haruna Braimoh,
Directorate of media and Publicity (UN-IPC) Nigeria mission office.
Maitama-Abuja.
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