Operatives of the Kebbi State Police Command have apprehended four persons over an alleged multi-million naira Hajj seat scam uncovered in the state.
The command’s spokesperson, Usman Bashar, disclosed the development in a statement issued in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday, revealing that the suspects were arrested following investigations into fraudulent Hajj transactions.
Bashar identified the principal suspect as Aminu Hassan Zauro, who was arrested alongside Tabiu Abubakar, Usman Attahiru and Mustapha Sani Zauro.
He added that four additional suspects — Bello Jos, Atiku Store, Umar Gimba and Usman Bunza — were currently on the run.
According to the police spokesman, the case came to light after the Kebbi Pilgrims Welfare Agency discovered discrepancies involving some intending pilgrims whose names were absent from the agency’s official records.
Preliminary investigations, he said, showed that Aminu Hassan Zauro allegedly posed as someone capable of securing Hajj slots despite lacking any authorised access to pilgrimage allocations.
The suspect was accused of collecting N8.6 million from a victim with the promise of obtaining two seats for the 2026 Hajj exercise.
Police further revealed that the same suspect also received an initial payment of N690,000 from another victim using the same false claims.
In a bid to make the scheme appear genuine, the suspect allegedly distributed unauthorised Hajj materials to victims, including branded bags, hijabs, wrappers and counterfeit medical record cards.
Bashar stated that detectives recovered the items during the operation, alongside a Tecno we Android phone linked to the investigation.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Hadejia, has warned intending pilgrims against dealing with unauthorised individuals for Hajj arrangements.
The police chief advised members of the public to transact only with the Kebbi Pilgrims Welfare Agency and accredited officials, stressing that many unsuspecting Nigerians lose money yearly to fraudulent Hajj schemes.
He also directed that all those found culpable in the alleged scam be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
