ARTICLE AD
Ahead of the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, intending pilgrims from Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory have been asked to make an initial deposit of N8.5m and N8.4m respectively.
The Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board and its FCT counterpart made the announcement in separate statements on Thursday.
Secretary of the board in Lagos, Saheed Onipede, asked intending pilgrims to obtain the Hajj form from its office in Ikeja.
According to Onipede, the cost of the Hajj form is N20,000 while intending pilgrims are to pay the sum of N8,500,000 as an initial deposit, pending the official announcement of the actual fare for the 2025 Hajj by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.
Expatiating further, the board’s scribe said, “In consideration of the present economic situation of the country, the board has decided to make the payment flexible for intending pilgrims to pay the money in installments for them to actualise their dream of performing the spiritual obligation in a seamless manner.”
While urging them not to make payments into personal accounts, Onipede advised that interested Muslims should raise a bank draft from any of the commercial banks in favour of ‘Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board’ and submit it to the accounts department for collection of official receipts for the value of the sum paid.
Onipede gave assurances that if the actual Hajj fare finally announced by NAHCON falls below N8.5m, the board would refund them the balance.
Similarly, the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board asked intending pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj exercise to make payments of N8,400,000 as an initial deposit.
This was contained in a statement signed on Thursday by the Board’s Chief Information Officer, Ahmad Saleh, on behalf of the Chairman, Mallam Abubakar Adamu-Evuti.
According to the statement, intending pilgrims were to make the payments at any commercial bank via bank draft and submit the draft at respective area offices of the board in the six Area Councils of the FCT.
Saleh also pointed out that the board did not accept cash deposits, or registration by proxy, adding that pilgrims would be attended to on a first come, first served basis.
“The FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board wishes to inform the general public, especially the intending pilgrims who wish to perform the next year’s Hajj through the board, that it has commenced the registration of intending pilgrims for 2025 Hajj exercise.
“The prospective intending pilgrims are to deposit a minimum of N8,400,000.00 only via a bank draft from any commercial bank in favour of the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Abuja, to be registered.
“The prospective intending pilgrims are to submit the bank drafts to the Board’s respective Area Officers at the six Area Councils in the FCT. The prospective pilgrims are to note that the board does not accept cash deposits and does not entertain registration by proxy. It strictly adheres to the principles of first come, first served basis”.
The PUNCH reports that out of a total of 51,477 pilgrims, 2,491 pilgrims from the FCT participated in the 2024 Hajj, which commenced on July 15, 2024 and ended on August 15, 2024.