The Plateau Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has offered automatic slots to 400 persons, who were denied the privilege to travel to Saudi Arabia for the exercise in 2014.
Its Executive Secretary, Alhaji Dayyabu Garga, told newsmen on Tuesday in Jos that the intending pilgrims paid for the exercise in 2014 but did not travel because their monies “disappeared”.
“We have traced their records and offered them automatic slots. We have not been able to trace their monies and have invited EFCC and ICPC to investigate,” he said.
Garga said that the board had asked the intending pilgrims to pay the difference between what they paid in 2014 and the charges in 2017.
He said that 1,100 persons had fully paid for the exercise for which Plateau was allocated 1,400 seats, adding that the first batch would travel to the holy land, via the Bauchi International Airport, on Aug. 16.
Garga explained that the board would not allow people above 65 years to travel for the exercise because it was energy sapping.
The official advised the intending pilgrims to respect the rules in the holy land and pray for the country. (NAN)
ADY/ETS