The Katsina State Government has clarified that the ₦3.8 billion loan facility approved to secure 3,890 Hajj slots for intending pilgrims in the state was a temporary intervention and not a subsidy or diversion of public funds.
The clarification followed a report by Daily Trust on the approval of the loan facility for the 2026 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
According to the state government, Katsina had been allocated 3,890 Hajj slots by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, but less than 40 per cent of intending pilgrims had completed payment within the limited timeline given by the commission.
It said the Executive Director of the State Pilgrims Welfare Board consequently requested a temporary loan facility from Governor Dikko Umaru Radda to enable the board make payment to NAHCON and prevent the state from losing its allocated slots.
The government explained that the arrangement was for the board to recover the money as intending pilgrims completed payment of their fares and refund the amount advanced into the state treasury.
It said the intervention was aimed at securing seats for intending pilgrims who had deposited at least 50 per cent of their fares before the expiration of NAHCON’s deadline.
The statement added that all funds advanced by the state government under the arrangement had been fully refunded to the state treasury.
The government urged media organisations to seek clarification on matters of public interest before publication, stressing that professional journalism requires balance, accuracy and fairness.
