No fewer than 150 intending pilgrims to this year’s hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia were left stranded at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos following their inability to show evidence of having secured a travel visa for the journey to the Holy Land.

It was gathered that the pilgrims, mostly from Ogun, Osun and Oyo states had been defrauded by a travel agent hired to secure travel visa, airfares and accommodation for them while in Saudi Arabia.
The pilgrims were expected to travel to Mecca last Friday with Qatar Airways, but the trip was truncated following the failure of the travel agent to show up with their passports and travel visas.

The agent (name withheld) was believed to have raked in about N142.5million from the 150 pilgrims as each of them was said to have paid N950, 000 for visa processing, airfares and other logistics charges.
When Daily Sun visited the airport, it was a pitiable sight as the intending pilgrims had converted the departure hall of the international airport into their sleeping apartment.

It was gathered that Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia would officially close today, which means if they failed to travel yesterday night or early today, their dreams of participating in the 2013 hajj exercise to Mecca would have been defeated.
One of the pilgrims, Mr. Abdulwasiu Adeyemi from Abeokuta in Ogun State, who spoke to journalists, said they arrived at the airport as early as 7am last Friday, but were yet to travel for the hajj in Mecca.

Adeyemi said each of them paid the agent N950,000 for the visa, air ticket and accommodation, but lamented that as at last Friday, some of them could not lay hands on international passports containing their visa as the agent failed to show up.
He said the passport was only given to him and some others yesterday and that they were asked to pay additional N280,000 for a return flight ticket for the exercise.

“I’ve never had any business deal with this company (the travel agent). He told us to be at the airport as early as 10am last Friday for our flight with Qatar Airways and we complied, but unfortunately, our passport and visas were not given to us by the agent as he claimed that they were not ready then.”

Another affected pilgrim, Alhaja Muibat Arogunjo, lamented that the agent had turned her pilgrimage into a thing of sorrow .
Arogunjo said she had spent all the money in her savings for the exercise and could no longer cough out more funds for a new ticket. But a representative of the agent at the Lagos airport, who declined to mention his name, told journalists that the pilgrims were not defrauded by the company.

“It is the delay in the return of their visas by the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Nigeria that led to the inability of the pilgrims to travel at the agreed date,” said the official.

Source: Daily Sun Newspaper

Only in Nigeria

I laugh in Norwegian.This is hilarious.hehe.

Soon some people will say that scamming is only known to one tribe.
Anyways fourth to comment( I FEEL GOOD LALALALALA)

Sometimes this might be a blessing in disguise. I am yet to see somebody that bought an extra life at the rate of N950,000.
My 2 cents-Thank God for the dissappointment but fight like hell for your money!

[quote author=voltron][/quote]

I am not a muslim I am a Christian please learn to make sense and please respect other peoples religion.
Please Grow up!!!

This is pitiable dismal pismal

modified*

And soon this man will be celebrated as a wealthy and successful man by all of us. God have mercy on us all.

@voltron; thats not how God reacts. imagine the hiding place of the fraudster. imagine it. it could not be lower than the earth and not higher than the heavens. he has no place to hide from the Justice of God. no one does. if you do evil, you will be rewarded in time. if you do good, your reward will come and it is true that accounts are being recorded.

so do not hurry God. time is His, alone.

Hmmm ! What's dis Hajj all abt that someone can spend N950,000 jst to attend.

They fall hand, choi 700+k wasted, they may opportune next year.

This one is strong

too bad

Decapo: This one is strong

Eleyi Gidi Gan

Someone needs to be brought to book for commuting such fraud

no way,no no no,i totaly disagree.i need to speak to Oga.

Man inhumanity to man

..couldnt even take d heart to read tru all write-up, a very painful scenario. How cud some ppl be so heartless turning a phenomenum worth celebrating to sorrow, those fraudsters will neva know peace in ds life nd d afterworld...

Imagine sum1 hard earned money inside rain and sun.
And 1 yeye baxtawd playin smart of dem. N950k aint beanz o
How wud dos pple go bak 2dia houses afta dia loves one are tinkin de are now in mecca prayin.
I think d govt shud take necessary step.
Jerusalem here I come next year

...Laffin wt golden teeth .....[color=#000099][/color]

Pls make I ask:
Waiting for dis naija way fraud no de take place?
Wen de wea collecting dea moni, for late entering didn't de no how long d embassy will take to return d documents?
Make dem return dea moni wit interest quick quick. Am u guyz.
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This is too bad for them
Allah knows best