Hajj fraud: Police nab 4 suspects over N8.6m seat scam

The Kebbi Police Command has arrested four suspects in connection with a Hajj seat scam.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, Usman Bashar, confirmed the arrests in a statement in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday.

According to him, the prime suspect, Aminu Hassan Zauro, was arrested alongside three others,Tabiu Abubakar, Usman Attahiru, and Mustapha Sani Zauro.

Four other suspects, identified as Bello Jos, Atiku Store, Umar Gimba, and Usman Bunza, were still at large.

Bashar said the arrests followed a complaint from the Kebbi Pilgrims Welfare Agency after discovering that the names of some intending pilgrims were missing from its official records.

Investigations revealed that Aminu Hassan Zauro, who had no legitimate access to Hajj slots, fraudulently collected N8.6 million from a victim under the false promise of securing two seats for the 2026 Hajj.

The suspect also obtained an initial deposit of N690,000 from another victim under similar pretence.

In an attempt to conceal the fraud, he procured and presented unauthorised branded Hajj materials, including bags, hijabs, wrappers, and fake medical record cards, to the victims.

Bashar said all the items were recovered by the police, along with one Tecno we Android phone.

He added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Hadejia, cautioned intending pilgrims to deal only with the Kebbi Pilgrims Welfare Agency or its accredited officials.

The CP noted that many people fall victim to such fraudulent schemes annually and had directed that all persons found culpable in connection with the fraudulent Hajj transactions be prosecuted accordingly. (NAN)

المصدر: Daily Trust (NG)