The Amiru Hajj of Kwara State, Alhaji Ismail Bolaji Yahaya, says 15 pilgrims from the state have been defrauded of their $500 dollars Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) by some disgruntled elements in Madina, Saudi Arabia during the 2025 Hajj.
The Amiru Hajj made the disclosure about the fraud when he spoke with newsmen in Makkah in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
He said the probe carried out by the stakeholders and management of the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board showed those affected were of Fulani extraction.
“Our investigation revealed that some of our Fulani pilgrims were defrauded in Madina, particularly those who came with the first flight,” he said.
The Amiru Hajj recalled that a few days back, the attention of the government of Kwara State was drawn to a viral video clip showing one Mohammed Bello and a number of others, numbering about four.
Yahaya added: “They alleged that right from home at General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport in Ilorin, they were given a dollar in five places as against $100 in five places.
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“One of them alleged that the board, through its accounting department, gave them $5 as against $500.
“I make bold to say this allegation is far from the truth because the same process that every pilgrim passed through is the same process that I have passed through personally, being the Amir of the Hajj.
“The process is that every morning, operatives of the DSS check the accounting department, they search the accountants there to make sure they did not enter into their office with any counterfeit currency.
“They made sure they did not even go in there with any bag whatsoever.
“And at every point in time, this denomination of a hundred dollars, they count it one by one, place it on the table, and give it to an individual pilgrim.”
Yayaha said that what was given to each pilgrim from Kwara State was $100 in five places, making a total of $500.
“But, apparently, when this video went viral, the governor immediately directed me to cause an investigation into the matter.
“I did in collaboration with the chairman of the board, the secretary, the SA religion, and a number of other principal officers of the board.
“Up to this hour, only 15 are confirmed.
“And on the directive of the governor, we have refunded $500 back to each of these 15 pilgrims that have been identified.”
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