Police Arrest Four in N8.6m Hajj Fraud Scheme

On Tuesday, the Nigeria Police Force confirmed the arrest of four suspects involved in a Hajj fraud scheme in Birin Kebbi. The primary suspect, Aminu Hassan Zauro, was apprehended alongside Tabiu Abubakar, Usman Attahiru, and Mustapha Sani Zauro.

They were accused of defrauding victims of N8.6 million by falsely promising them seats for the 2026 Hajj. The Kebbi Pilgrim Welfare Agency reported that Zauro had no legitimate access to Hajj slots and collected an initial deposit of N690,000 from victims.

The suspects attempted to conceal their fraud by procuring unauthorized Hajj materials, including bags, hijabs, wrappers, and fake medical record cards. Items recovered by the police included a Tecno Android phone.

The Commissioner of Police, Umar Hadejia, warned prospective pilgrims to only deal with accredited officials from the Kebbi Pilgrim Welfare Agency, emphasizing that individuals found culpable in fraudulent Hajj transactions would face prosecution.