Muslim religious leaders in Nigeria urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to intervene in the rising cost of Hajj pilgrimage for 2024.
It can be recalled that The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) announced an unexpected increase of N1.9 million last week, bringing the total cost to N6.8 million, up from N4.9 million.
For those registering for the first time, the total Hajj fare for the 2024 season is N8,254,464.74.
All categories, both existing and new registrants, must complete their payments by the same deadline of March 28th, 2024.
This hike has caused significant hardship for many intending pilgrims, with some facing the possibility of forfeiting their Hajj journey due to the short deadline.
Sheikh Yahaya Jingir of Jos highlighted President Tinubu’s compassion and requested his support in alleviating the burden on pilgrims.
Also,Sheikh Kabiru Muhammad Gombe emphasized the importance of helping Nigerian pilgrims perform Hajj and called for government intervention, including potential financial assistance.
Both scholars urged the government, particularly President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, to consider helping the payment for the 50,000 intending pilgrims who had already registered and paid.
Sheikh Gombe further appealed to Muslim state governors to also step in so as to assist the Pilgrims.
He specifically mentioned governors from Kano, Katsina, Borno, Niger, Jigawa, Gombe, and Kaduna.
Safiyah Abdulkadir