The Hon. Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Anofiu Olanrewaju Elegushi, on Friday said the Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board may not sell forms for intending Pilgrims planning to embark on the Hajj 2022 Holy pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He stated this at a press conference designed for the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board to formally react to the cancellation of 2021 Hajj exercise for foreign pilgrims by Saudi Arabian Government due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
According to him, the decision not to sell forms for 2022 was because the state already has 3,016 intending Pilgrims that have formally registered and fully paid their deposit for the already cancelled 2020/2021 hajj exercises.
He added that unless the Saudi Arabian autourity and National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) gives the State additional slots, it might not be feasible selling forms for new intending Pilgrims outside those already registered.
Elegushi further stated that only 69 intending Pilgrims or approximately 2.24 per cent of a total of 3,085 intending Pilgrims for the 2020/2021 sets have written to request for refund of their N1,300,000.00 deposit while the remaining 3,016 or approximately 97.76 per cent have willingly decided to leave their deposit in the custody of the State Government for the 2022 exercise.
He affirmed that the request for refund by the 69 affected persons have been processed and forwarded to the Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, saying immediately the Governor gives his approval, the affected persons would be refunded.