Intending Pilgrims Protest Over 100% Increase In Hajj Fare

Some intending pilgrims on Monday protested against the hike in the cost of 2022 Hajj fare at the Alausa Government House in Lagos State.

According to some of the aggrieved pilgrims, they had paid for the 2020 Hajj since 2019 which did not hold due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

They claimed that the Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board messaged them to pay extra N1.3m to balance the payment made since 2019.

One of the concerned pilgrims who claimed he is one of the representatives of the aggrieved pilgrims said, “We are here to plead on the payment. Three weeks ago, the Commissioner invited us to the old secretariat block. We were told that they are going to increase the money but it is just a token amount and we pleaded that it should not be much.

“We paid N1.3m in 2019. To our surprise, on Friday, we got a message to pay an additional 1,340,000, making it 2,640,000, more than 100 per cent. And they are now giving us a deadline of five working days for, 2020, 2021 and 2022 pilgrims.”

They charged the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Speaker of the state assembly, Mudashiru Obasa to intervene in the issue.

He said, “We plead with our governor and the Speaker. We are in Lagos State and we are for peace.”