Kebbi Govt Clears Air On N100bn Hajj Loan Controversy

The Kebbi State Government has clarified that the N10bn referenced in a recent statement by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) was not a subsidy or diversion of public funds for Hajj sponsorship.

The state government said it was a short-term loan extended to intending pilgrims to meet a strict National Hajj Commission of Nigeria payment deadline.

The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed, made the clarification on Tuesday at a press briefing in Birnin Kebbi.

Ahmed said the funds were advanced through the state’s Pilgrims Welfare Agency on a recoverable basis and were fully refunded to government coffers within eleven days.

He explained that Kebbi state had recorded approximately 2,000 fully paid pilgrims prior to December 5 date NAHCON fixed l as the final for full payment for 2026 Hajj, while about 1,300 other intending pilgrims had only made partial deposits.

He further explained that the short-term intervention ensured that the unpaid balances did not cost the state its formally allocated Hajj slots.

“Many of the affected pilgrims are seasonal farmers and traders, whose ability to meet the deadline was dependent on returns from late-year harvests and market activities,” Ahmed said.

Over the weekend, MURIC in a statement by its Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, questioned the conformity of deploying public funds into Hajj-related financing.

It argued that such expenditure risked diverting state resources away from critical social sectors and could set an undesirable precedent.

MURIC emphasised that the state should prioritise improving the welfare of residents rather than competing with other states in the number of pilgrims.

However, Ahmed disclosed that the repayment of the N10 billion was completed on December 16, 2025. He added that supporting documentation including bank and agency records are available for verification.

He also stated that the intervention raised the state’s total number of fully paid pilgrims to 3,629 for the forthcoming Hajj, making Kebbi the second-highest contributor nationally and among the first batch approved for airlift.

Speaking on the claims by MURIC that the funds reflected misplaced public priorities, Ahmed explained that the state’s ongoing investments in healthcare, including tertiary and primary facilities were unaffected.

He stressed that the Hajj financing arrangement is a “temporary liquidity bridge” rather than sponsorship or subsidy.