The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has criticised the Kebbi State Government for approving a ₦10 billion loan to secure additional Hajj seats for the 2026 pilgrimage, describing the move as a misplacement of public resources.
In a statement signed by MURIC Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Monday, January 12, 2026, the group urged the state government to reorder its priorities, focusing on education, healthcare, infrastructure, poverty alleviation, and youth employment, rather than competing with other states in the number of pilgrims.
The statement noted that Governor Nasir Idris approved the loan on 5 December 2025 to secure 1,300 additional Hajj slots after many intending pilgrims missed the original payment deadline.
MURIC emphasised that while Hajj is a central pillar of Islam, it is obligatory only for those with sufficient financial means, and there is no religious requirement for the government to borrow funds to facilitate it.
The group added that the ₦10 billion could have been better used to rehabilitate hospitals, build schools, and improve roads, addressing urgent social and infrastructural needs that would have an immediate impact on residents’ welfare.
MURIC also called on state and federal authorities to limit government involvement in Hajj operations, leaving management primarily to individual Muslims and Islamic organisations, with the government handling only essential protocol matters.
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The Kebbi State Government defended the loan, saying it was necessary to prevent the forfeiture of Hajj seats and allow more residents to participate in the pilgrimage after the original payment deadline had closed.
Officials described the intervention as a people-centred initiative to ensure eligible pilgrims could fulfil their religious obligation.
Critics, however, noted that the state continues to face infrastructure and social service challenges, including dilapidated healthcare facilities, arguing that public funds could have been more effectively deployed to meet urgent developmental needs.