Makkah: The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that Nigerian pilgrims participating in the 2025 Hajj have demonstrated remarkable acts of honesty and integrity by returning lost cash to its rightful owners.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Head of Public Affairs at NAHCON, Malam Muhammad Musa, highlighted the ongoing trend of Nigerian pilgrims distinguishing themselves through their honest acts. Several pilgrims have returned lost cash to both Nigerians and foreigners. In a notable instance, the Deputy Coordinator of Makkah Operations, Alhaji Alidu Shutti, presented three Nigerian pilgrims to the Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofi’u Elegushi, after they voluntarily returned two separate purses containing cash.
One of the pilgrims, Alhaji Bello Ajani from Ede Local Government Area in Osun State, discovered 200 Saudi Riyals (approximately 53.31 dollars). The money was handed over to NAHCON through Alhaji Abdrasheed Abdulazeez, the Special Assistant on Islamic Affairs to the Oyo State Government.
In another case, two pilgrims, Alhaji Isiaka Olaosun from Kwara and Alhaji Bakare Momodu from Edo, found a lost purse. They contacted NAHCON’s Makkah Media Office and followed instructions to deliver the purse in person to Alhaji Shutti, who then presented them to the commissioner. The second purse, belonging to an Egyptian pilgrim named Mustafa Ramadhan Mustafa Ali, contained 4,590 Egyptian Pounds, 65 Saudi Riyals, and 5 Euros.
Elegushi directed that the funds be returned to the Egyptian Embassy for onward delivery to the rightful owner. The 200 Saudi Riyals found earlier will be returned to Nigerian pilgrim Shukurah Yusuf from the FCT Pilgrims Welfare Board.
Commending the pilgrims, Elegushi described them as ‘True Ambassadors of Nigeria’ and prayed for their continued success and wellbeing. He also instructed that letters of commendation be issued to all individuals involved, including the Oyo State official who facilitated the return.
Musa noted that these incidents are part of a growing pattern of honesty within the Nigerian pilgrims’ community, reflecting a renewed spirit of integrity and moral uprightness that is receiving widespread recognition.