Date: 2018-03-05

Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed of Kwara State has approved the disbursement of N28.7m (twenty-eight point seven million Naira) refund to 2468 pilgrims who performed last year Hajj to Saudi Arabia with the Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.

A statement issued by the Executive Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh in llorin said the amount was sent to the state by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.

According to him, the refund to the Pilgrims who will not take the same amount represents services not rendered to them in Makkah and Madinah during the 2017 holy pilgrimage exercise.

The Executive Secretary said four of the two thousand, four hundred and sixty-eight pilgrims of which two are deceased will take a sum of two hundred and sixty-two thousand, eight hundred and seventy Naira, while the remaining two thousand, four hundred and sixty-four pilgrims will take eleven thousand, two hundred and forty-five Naira each.

He said the fund replaced the return ticket from the holy land and other services not rendered for the four pilgrims.

The statement directed the Families of the two dead pilgrims to come to the Board with genuine documents for the collection of the money.

Alhaji Tunde-Jimoh equally directed the remaining two thousand, four hundred and sixty-four pilgrims to come to the Board office in llorin with their International passport and other document from Wednesday, seventh of this month which is the commencement day for the payment.

The Executive Secretary directed pilgrims not in the state to send account number that will tally with names on their International passport for the collection of the money.

The payment according to the Executive Secretary will last for three weeks.

The statement said the Board had extended the period of payment of one point three million naira deposit for 2018 Hajj fare to the middle of March to allow more intending pilgrims have the opportunity to perform the pilgrimage. Alhaji Tunde-Jimoh warned the intending pilgrims against paying Hajj fare to any Agent, stating that the Board did not appoint any Agent or group to collect Hajj fare except the designated FCMB Bank.

He said the disqualification of pregnant women from performing hajj with the Board is still in force and directed aged intending pilgrims to be accompanied by their relations.