Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has offered financial relief to state pilgrims in Saudi Arabia who were defrauded of their Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), providing $500 each to affected individuals.
The gesture was announced in a statement issued from the holy land by the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board, AbdulSalam Abdulkadir. The intervention follows the circulation of viral videos and reports showing distressed pilgrims claiming they had received one-dollar bills instead of the $100 denominations they were originally given.
According to the Board, an internal review confirmed that each pilgrim was initially issued the approved $500 BTA in five $100 notes. The distribution took place in the presence of security operatives and officials from the Directorate of State Security (DSS), who verified the authenticity of the currency before disbursement. Each recipient also signed confirmation documents after personally counting their funds.
Preliminary findings suggest the fraud occurred after the pilgrims arrived in Medina. The Board noted that several of the victims—primarily elderly individuals unfamiliar with foreign currency—had approached strangers for help in converting their dollars into Saudi Riyals. These individuals, under the pretext of offering assistance, allegedly swapped genuine $100 bills for $1 notes.
“This unfortunate situation underscores the vulnerability of some of our pilgrims, especially the elderly, in unfamiliar environments,” the statement read.
The Kwara Pilgrims’ Welfare Board assured that investigations are ongoing to identify those responsible and ensure they are brought to justice.
Governor AbdulRazaq’s intervention has been widely praised as a prompt and compassionate response to safeguard the welfare and dignity of the state’s pilgrims during Hajj.