Kebbi Govt Dismisses MURIC’s N10bn Hajj Loan Claim, Insists Funds Were Fully Repaid

The Kebbi State Government has dismissed allegations by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) over a purported N10 billion intervention for intending pilgrims for the 2026 Hajj, describing the claims as misleading and a misrepresentation of facts.

The government said the transaction was wrongly portrayed as a diversion of public funds, whereas it was a temporary and fully recoverable intervention designed to protect the interests of Kebbi pilgrims.

Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Birnin Kebbi, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed, clarified that the N10 billion was neither a grant nor a sponsorship. He explained that it was a short-term loan advanced through the Kebbi State Pilgrims Welfare Agency to enable intending pilgrims meet the payment deadline set by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

According to him, NAHCON fixed December 5, 2025, as the nationwide deadline for full payment, but as of that date only about 2,000 pilgrims from Kebbi State had completed their payments, leaving roughly 1,300 others at risk of losing their Hajj slots due to incomplete remittances.

To avert the situation, the state government approved a temporary financial intervention with a clear agreement that the funds would be repaid within two weeks once the affected pilgrims concluded their payments. Ahmed confirmed that the agreement was fully honoured.

“By December 16, 2025, just eleven days after the intervention, the entire N10 billion had been repaid in full and returned to government coffers, with no loss of public funds,” the Commissioner stated.
“Bank and agency records are available for public scrutiny to confirm both the date the loan was granted and the date it was fully repaid.”

He explained that the intervention was informed by the socioeconomic realities of the affected pilgrims, many of whom are farmers and traders who were awaiting proceeds from late November and early December harvests and business activities. He said their difficulty was largely a matter of timing rather than inability to pay.

Ahmed further disclosed that the timely intervention has boosted Kebbi State’s Hajj participation, with 3,629 pilgrims now fully paid for the 2026 Hajj, ranking the state second nationally. He added that Kebbi has also been included among the first batch of states to be airlifted at the commencement of Hajj operations.

The state government also refuted suggestions that critical sectors such as health and infrastructure had been neglected, noting that several hospitals, including tertiary health facilities, have been constructed, rehabilitated or are currently undergoing rehabilitation, alongside numerous primary healthcare centres across the state.

While acknowledging the role of civil society groups in promoting accountability, the government urged MURIC to verify facts before making public statements. It reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, good governance and the overall welfare of the people of Kebbi State.