Former Plateau Muslim Pilgrims Board official confesses to stealing N94m

The immediate past Executive Secretary, Plateau Muslim Pilgrims Board, Alhaji Salisu Mohammed, has confessed that he diverted N94 million from funds paid by intending pilgrims.

He said the money was used to sponsor himself and some politicians on pilgrimage.

He made the confession on Tuesday while testifying before a Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Plateau government to probe activities of former Gov Jonah Jang’s administration.

“The funds were diverted from no fewer than 131 intending pilgrims, who paid for slots to travel to Saudi Arabia for the 2013 Hajj,” he said.

"They were disqualified from participating in the pilgrimage because I was instructed, verbally, by the then Secretary to State Government (SSG), Prof. Shedrach Best, to do so and use the money to sponsor some political VIPs,” he said.

“The VIPs and I sponsored ourselves, with the fund collected from the pilgrims, to attend the World Islamic Conference in the United Kingdom and to the Hajj itself,” he further explained.

The payees didn't go on pilgrimage, and their money weren't refunded to them.

Chairman of the commission, Justice Stephen Adah was visibly angered by the revelation.

He vowed that the commission would look into the matter and force those responsible to refund the monies to the owners