At least 15 pilgrims from Kwara State have fallen victim to a foreign exchange scam while on pilgrimage in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, losing their $500 Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) to suspected fraudsters.
The victims, reportedly mostly of Fulani descent, were allegedly deceived by currency racketeers who exchanged their $100 bills for $1 notes under the guise of helping them convert the money into Saudi riyals.
The Amiru Hajj of the state and traditional ruler of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Ismail Yahaya Alebiosu, confirmed the development while addressing journalists on the incident.
He disclosed that the fraudulent exchange occurred after the official disbursement of BTA by the Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.
“Our investigations revealed that some Fulani pilgrims who arrived with the first flight were defrauded in Madinah. So far, 15 individuals have been identified,” the monarch said.
A viral video had earlier surfaced, suggesting some pilgrims received only $5 instead of the $500 officially approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria for each pilgrim.
One individual in the video accused the board of issuing the wrong amount right from the Ilorin airport.
However, Yahaya strongly denied the allegation, stating that all BTA disbursements were carried out transparently and in the presence of operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), who monitored the process to ensure integrity.
“Every pilgrim received five $100 notes, properly counted and confirmed before departure. The reported loss occurred after the disbursement, not in Nigeria,” he explained.
To cushion the effects of the incident, the Kwara State Government has refunded $500 to each of the 15 affected pilgrims on the directive of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq
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