The Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has fixed N2.64 million as an initial deposit for the 2023 holy pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In a statement, the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Anofiu Olanrewaju Elegushi directed intending pilgrims that could not perform last year’s holy pilgrimage but left their money with the state government and deferred their intentions till the 2023 exercise to endeavour to pay N1.34 million in addition to the initial deposit of N1.3 million paid between 2019 and 2022.
He explained that those that had already completed the N2.64 million charged for the last spiritual exercise but could not perform the pilgrimage due to circumstances beyond their control are not affected by the directive.
According to him, each of the intending pilgrims is expected to raise a bank draft in favour of the ‘Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board’ from any commercial bank in the country and submit the same to the Accounts Department of the Board.
Elegushi warned that no intending pilgrim should pay the money into any individual account.
While urging the intending pilgrims to start paying the money as soon as possible, the Commissioner added that if there would be any additional charges to the N2.640 million, the Board would inform them on time.
He also reiterated his earlier statement that the intending pilgrims who left their money with the state government between 2019 and 2022 for the forthcoming exercise would be given priority when the exercise eventually commenced.
Some of the over 4,000 intending pilgrims who were supposed to perform the 2022 holy pilgrimage could not do so due to inadequate slots allocated to the state by the National Hajj Commission, increment in the fare and age barrier, among others.
