Police arrest four over alleged N9.29m Hajj scam in Kebbi

The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested four suspects for allegedly defrauding two intending pilgrims of N9.290 million under the guise of securing Hajj slots for the 2026 pilgrimage.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Bashir Usman, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

According to the statement, the suspects identified as Aminu Hassan Zauro, Tabiu Abubakar, Usman Attahiru and Mustapha Sani Zauro were arrested following a complaint lodged by the Kebbi State Pilgrims Welfare Agency.

Usman said four other suspects identified as Bello Jos, Atiku Stores, Umar Gimba and Usman Bunza are currently at large.

He explained that the principal suspect, Aminu Hassan Zauro, allegedly collected N8.6 million from one of the victims with a promise to secure two Hajj seats for the 2026 pilgrimage.

The police spokesperson added that the suspect also allegedly received N690,000 from another victim as deposit for a Hajj slot and later presented fake pilgrimage materials, including bags and medical records, to the victim.

“The command recovered all the fake materials presented to the victims,” the statement said, adding that efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects and prosecute all those involved.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Umar Muhammed Hadejia, advised intending pilgrims to conduct transactions only through officials of the Kebbi State Pilgrims Welfare Agency to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.