The Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims' Welfare Board (KSMPWB) has denied any involvement in a foreign currency fraud that resulted in some pilgrims being shortchanged of their Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) while in Saudi Arabia.

The board confirmed that Governor Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has reimbursed the affected pilgrims, whose BTA was reportedly swapped by unscrupulous individuals during the Hajj.

A statement e-signed by Executive Secretary Alhaji Abdulsalam Abdulkadir stated that an investigation has been launched into the "recent incident involving some of our pilgrims who were defrauded of their BTA." The board emphasized that it distributed the BTA in USD 500 notes under strict supervision to ensure authenticity.

The governor's intervention underscores his administration's commitment to pilgrim welfare, with the KSMPWB stressing that the fraud was carried out by third parties outside its oversight.

It added, "Every pilgrim was given their $500 BTA in five $100 bills in a public space and under the supervision of officials from the Directorate of State Security, who ensured that the currency was genuine. Each pilgrim signed for the collection of their BTA after counting it in the presence of the pilgrims' board officials and the DSS.

"Upon seeing the viral video in which some pilgrims claimed they had received five one-dollar bills instead of five one-hundred-dollar notes, our preliminary findings suggest that these incidents likely occurred after the pilgrims had arrived in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

"In several cases, the affected individuals, mostly elderly and unfamiliar with foreign currencies had sought help from strangers to convert their funds into Saudi Riyals. These unscrupulous individuals apparently took advantage of their vulnerability by swapping $100 bills with $1 bills under the guise of assisting them with currency exchange.