Barely 24hrs after the decision of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to raise the 2024 hajj fare by ₦1.9 million, many individuals who intend to perform the 2024 Hajj besieged their respective state Muslim pilgrims’ welfare boards to demand a refund of their deposits.
NAHCON had released a statement on Sunday increasing the fare for this year’s pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia by ₦1,918,032.91 while setting a deadline of March 28, 2024. It had in December 2023 fixed a fare of ₦4.9 million per pilgrim based on an exchange rate of ₦897 to a dollar.
However, the current exchange rate pushed the commission to urge those who had paid the initial amount to add ₦1.9 million, raising the total amount to ₦6.8 million.
Speaking, one Hafsat Yusuf, an intending pilgrim from Kano who raised her initial deposit with the help of her colleagues said: “I am even speechless, we are waiting for the Kano Pilgrims’ Board to announce their own increment but I don’t know how to go about it.
“I spent almost a year saving into contributions with friends. I received mine, sold a plot of land and paid for hajj. Now, what am I going to sell again or where would I go to get money to pay the balance? God will provide but we are in a state of confusion and only God knows how many of us could be able to afford the increment.”
In Kwara, pilgrims’ board officials said many people have visited to seek a refund, saying they would not be able to raise the balance.
