Fraud Rocks Nasarawa Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board

By Rabiu Omaku

As this year’s Hajj operation is fast approaching, complaints have continued to trail the high level of corruption that enveloped the Nasarawa State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board under the leadership of Hassan Na Laraba.

It was gathered that the board is stenching with corruption and illegality exhibited by officials of the board.

It was revealed that official of the board including the headship of the board connives with middlemen to milk pilgrims dry at the Holy land all in the name of fee for the sacrifice of ram (Haddaya) but the middlemen who are within the state delegation diverts this money for their personal use.

The former state Amirul-Hajj and paramount ruler of Doma, Alhaji Ahmadu Aliyu Ogah made this startling revelations of extortions carried out by top echelon of the board. The monarch hinted this when the state team to the Holy land submitted their 2014 Hajj report to Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura. The traditional ruler also reported to the Governor the crack in the board.

Further findings by this reporter revealed that a one-time executive Chairman of the board from Nasarawa West Senatorial Zone was alleged to have soiled with the Hajj-fair of over 100 intending pilgrims in the 2013 Hajj operation.

This created serious crisis as intending pilgrims protested over their money. it took the intervention of some top members of the board to save the situation.

As it that was not enough, these complaints also extended to Doma, Lafia, and Keffi where some Local Government officials, are also involved in the crisis of fraud in the board.

Meanwhile when this reporter contacted the Executive Secretary over the scandal in the board, he promised to respond to it, however as at the time of filling in this report, there as was no response from the Executive Secretary.