The Kebbi government says it has approved the subsidy allocation of N3.34 billion to 3,344 prospective pilgrims to this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia from the state.

The approval was to complete the payment of additional fares of about N2 million announced by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

The decision was reached at an emergency executive council meeting presided over by deputy governor Umar Abubakar-Tafida in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

Addressing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, the commissioner for information and culture, Yakubu Ahmad, said the gesture was in furtherance of the magnanimity of Governor Nasir Idris to uphold religious values for societal peace and tranquility.

He explained that the amount donated to each pilgrim was designed to facilitate the complete payment of the fares before the closure date.

”Out of about N2 million requested by NAHCON as additional fares, the Kebbi government has offset N1 million for each pilgrim, while the remaining balance should be paid by individual pilgrims to complete payment.

”Pilgrims who completed payment of the fares would also enjoy the N1 million magnanimity from the government,” the commissioner explained.

On recent incidents of miscreants breaking into food stores and looting grains, Mr Ahmad announced the setting up of a 13-member committee under the chairmanship of the commissioner for agriculture and natural resources, Shehu Mu’azu, to investigate the incident.

On his part, Mr Mu’azu explained that most of the rice carted away from the warehouse at Bayan-Kara belonged to Birnin Kebbi local government as part of the palliatives distributed by the state government to the 21 local government areas in the state.

He said security operatives succeeded in salvaging more than 2,000 bags of the grains from looters and returning them to safekeeping.

“The members of the committee have been given a five-day time frame between now and Friday to investigate the remote causes of the incident, identify persons or groups involved and advise the government appropriately to guard against a repeat,” the commissioner said.

(NAN)