Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A human rights activist and anti-corruption crusader in Kwara State, Comrade Mashood Lanrey Osho, has formally petitioned the Kwara State Government, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Department of State Services (DSS) over an alleged ₦21.2 million Hajj fraud involving a serving civil servant. The petition, submitted on Thursday, August 6, 2026, to the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Mamman Saba Jibril, and the DSS, accuses Mr. Abubakar Olayinka Kazeem and his accomplice, Mr. Lookman Lawal, of defrauding three members of the Egbe Oredegbe Club of Ondoko, Dada Area, Ilorin, of ₦21,200,000 for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage.
According to the petition, Kazeem, while allegedly impersonating a staff member of the Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, collected ₦3 million in cash from the victims on May 25, 2024, followed by ₦18.2 million transferred between May 29 and June 4, 2024, into an FCMB account belonging to Loaf Router Global. The victims—Salimata Saliu, Rofiatu Abdulfatai, and Ahmed Bolaji Abdulrasak—were subsequently given different locations and assurances regarding their supposed Hajj arrangements. Osho alleged that the victims were directed to Lagos, Abuja, and Kano at different stages, but no flight arrangement materialised, leaving them stranded and causing them physical and emotional distress. The activist further alleged that Kazeem issued fake Hajj visas to the victims as part of the scheme.
One of the most shocking allegations contained in the petition is that Kazeem had ceased to be a staff member of the Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board in 2023, following disciplinary action over what the petitioner described as "dubious acts perpetrated on intending pilgrims." Osho alleged that despite no longer being a staff member of the board, Kazeem continued to exploit his former association with the agency to gain the confidence of intending pilgrims. The petitioner further stated that Kazeem is currently attached to a department of the Kwara State Government, although the petition reportedly gives different references to either the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development or the Ministry of Agriculture.
Osho called on the Kwara State Government to immediately suspend Kazeem pending investigation and commence appropriate disciplinary proceedings if the allegations are established. He also demanded the recovery of the ₦21.2 million allegedly obtained from the victims and called on the Police, EFCC, and DSS to investigate, arrest, and prosecute all persons found culpable. "We cannot allow a civil servant who defrauded citizens in the name of Hajj to remain on government payroll. This is an embarrassment to Kwara State. Hajj money is sacred money and those who toy with it must face the full wrath of the law," Osho said.
The activist said additional copies of the petition would be submitted to the EFCC Kwara Command for investigation. The allegations contained in the petition have not been independently established, and the accused persons have not been given an opportunity to respond to the claims in the material made available to the media. As of the time of this report, the Kwara State Government, the EFCC, the Nigeria Police Force, and the DSS had not issued official statements regarding the petition. The case highlights the growing concerns over Hajj-related fraud in Nigeria, where unscrupulous individuals have exploited the religious aspirations of pilgrims for financial gain. The petition serves as a stark reminder of the need for greater transparency and accountability in the management of Hajj operations and the protection of intending pilgrims from fraudulent schemes.
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