The Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board has addressed recent reports regarding some of its pilgrims who were allegedly defrauded of their Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) during the 2025 Hajj exercise.
According to the Board, every pilgrim officially received their $500 BTA in five $100 bills, issued publicly under the supervision of Directorate of State Security (DSS) officers. The currency was verified for authenticity before being handed to each pilgrim, who signed for the collection after personal confirmation in the presence of board and DSS officials.
However, a viral video surfaced showing some pilgrims claiming they received five $1 bills instead of $100 notes. Preliminary findings indicate that the fraudulent swaps likely occurred after the pilgrims arrived in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Investigations suggest that several affected pilgrims—mostly elderly and unfamiliar with foreign currency—were deceived by unscrupulous strangers who offered to help exchange their dollars into Saudi Riyals, only to swap the high-value notes for $1 bills.
In swift response, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has approved a $500 compensation for each affected pilgrim to cover the losses. The Governor also personally visited the Kwara pilgrims’ hotel in Mecca and extended financial support to all pilgrims for their local expenses—a gesture the Board and pilgrims deeply appreciate.
The Board further revealed that similar fraudulent incidents have been reported among pilgrims from other Nigerian states. In light of this, it supports the Central Bank of Nigeria’s proposal to replace cash BTA disbursements with preloaded debit cards for future pilgrimages. This measure aims to ensure safer, more transparent, and theft-proof handling of pilgrims’ travel allowances, especially for the elderly.
The Board strongly condemned the actions of those who exploited the goodwill of Nigerian pilgrims and called on the public to provide any credible information that could help identify and prosecute the perpetrators.
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