The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has denied its involvement in the arrest and detention of a journalist with Newspoint Nigeria by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The NAHCON in a statement on Wednesday noted that its Chairman/CEO, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, has not at any time used state security apparatus to detain the journalist.
There were media reports on Monday, October 21, that the journalist, Farouk Abbas, was picked by the DSS over a series of investigative reports exposing corruption in the commission under the influence of Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Abbas was reportedly arrested by DSS operatives on October 14, moments after exiting a shopping mall in Kaduna.
He was detained for more than 50 hours before being released following intense legal efforts by News Point Nigeria’s lawyers.
The journalist was forced to sign an undertaking before regaining his freedom and has since been instructed to report to the headquarters of the DSS Command in Kaduna every morning.
Following his release, Abbas was admitted to a hospital due to health complications arising from his ordeal while in captivity. He is still receiving treatment at a private medical facility in Kaduna.
In the statement signed by Ahmad Muazu, Technical Assistant (Media) to the Chairman, NAHCON categorically denied all allegations, calling the report a “work of fiction designed to malign the character of the Chairman and undermine the integrity of the Commission.”
“The Chairman/CEO, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, did not at any time order, direct, or request the arrest of any journalist or media practitioner, whether through the Department of State Services (DSS) or any other security agency,” the statement said.
NAHCON further challenged Newspoint Nigeria to provide verifiable evidence of its claims, particularly regarding the alleged detention of its editor.
Addressing repeated allegations of corruption within the Commission, NAHCON dismissed the claims as baseless and recycled. The statement noted that the current leadership has remained committed to transparency and due process.
“The Commission has consistently cooperated with all regulatory and anti-corruption agencies through the appropriate government channels,” it added.
The Commission called on the Nigerian public, especially the Muslim Ummah, to disregard misleading reports.
“Our focus remains on serving Nigerian pilgrims, and we shall continue to extend professional cooperation to all responsible media organisations,” the statement concluded.