The Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board (KSMPWB) has exonerated itself from any fraudulent currency swap that led to the shortchange of some individual pilgrims of their Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) while in Saudi Arabia.
Consequently, the board announced that the state governor, Mallam AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq, has reimbursed the affected pilgrims who were defrauded of their BTA paid in foreign currency by unscrupulous individuals in Saudi Arabia.
A statement e-signed by the executive secretary of the Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board, Alhaji Abdulsalam Abdulkadir, and made available to journalists Sunday, said the board has commenced an investigation into the “recent incident involving some of our pilgrims who were reportedly defrauded of their Basic Travel Allowance (BTA).”
It added, “Every pilgrim was given their $500 BTA in five $100 bills in a public space and under the supervision of officials from the Directorate of State Security, who ensured that the currency was genuine. Each pilgrim signed for the collection of their BTA after counting it in the presence of the pilgrims’ board officials and the DSS.
“Upon seeing the viral video in which some pilgrims claimed they had received five one-dollar bills instead of five one-hundred-dollar notes, our preliminary findings suggest that these incidents likely occurred after the pilgrims had arrived in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
“In several cases, the affected individuals, mostly elderly and unfamiliar with foreign currencies—had sought help from strangers to convert their funds into Saudi Riyals. These unscrupulous individuals apparently took advantage of their vulnerability by swapping $100 bills with $1 bills under the guise of assisting them with currency exchange.
“In response to this unfortunate development, His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has graciously provided for each affected pilgrim to be given $500 to offset their losses. We ask Allah to reward His Excellency’s swift and compassionate intervention”