PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC) ON 2007 INTENDING PILGRIMS ALLEGEDLY DUPED BY BIN SHEIKH AIR SERVICES HELD AT MURIC OFFICE ON THURSDAY 28TH FEBRUARY ‏2008‏‏

Distinguished personalities,
Gentlemen of the Press,
As-Salaam Alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu.

We are all aware of the dilemma facing our great country, Nigeria. This country is greatly endowed by Allah. We have a huge concentration of human and material resources which, if properly harnessed, can turn Nigeria into the pride of Africa and the envy of America and Britain put together. Unfortunately this dream is being shattered on a daily basis by unscrupulous citizens within and outside the country whose stock-in-trade is mischief, deceit and fraudulent practices. These crooks are so many and their activities so nefarious that they smeared the image of the country. Consequently, Nigeria was labelled the Most Corrupt Country in 2001, Second Most Corrupt in 2003 and Third Most Corrupt in 2004.

Today Nigeria’s image is half redeemed courtesy of the gallant efforts of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). But saboteurs still abound. We affirm that it is the duty of every citizen to blow the whistle wherever such people are found. We must turn them into gold fishes which have no hiding place. This is exactly what our organisation is doing today. As an Islamic human rights organisation, MURIC is committed to the war against corruption and we have vowed to expose Muslims who engage in fraudulent activities.

Today we are establishing a case against BinSheikh Air Services Nigeria Limited whose head office is at No. 13, Joseph Street, Off Osho Street, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos. This company collected the sum of four hundred and fifty thousand naira (N450,000.00) each from about ninety four intending pilgrims sometime between September and December 2007 ostensibly for the purpose of taking them to and fro Hajj 2007.

Contrary to expectations, BinSheikh Air Services took its victims by land and in two luxurious buses to Cotonou on 14th December 2007 under the pretext of getting a better aircraft and a hitch-free hajj exercise outside Nigeria’s boarders. Cotonou turned out to be the killing ground. The intending pilgrims were abandoned there for five days. The hotel accommodation promised by the company and to which they were driven disowned BinSheikh claiming the latter did not book any reservation there. The victims, most of whom were elderly, poor and weak men and women became stranded and had to sleep on the bare cold floor for five days in inhuman and traumatising conditions. Many took ill. Some had fainting fits. Among the victims also was a London-based Nigerian who decided to travel to Makkah via Nigeria.
 
More than eighty of the victims had to borrow money to organise a shameful and agonising return to their homes in Nigeria. In fact about seven of the victims refused to go back to Nigeria for fear of the ridicule they were bound to face back home among relations, friends and neighbours. This batch were forced to return when members of their families discovered what happened and travelled to Cotonou to fetch them.

We of the Muslim Rights Concern condemn this flagrant disregard for the lives and welfare of fellow Nigerians. We denounce the manner in which huge amounts of money was obtained by a Muslim businessman under false pretence from fellow Muslims. We are perturbed that BinSheikh has dragged the name of Islam into disrepute and so we are prepared to use every legitimate means to bring him to book.
Several Nigerian newspapers have published the ugly story of BinSheikh’s misdeed. These include Adebayo Waheed’s “How Intending Pilgrims Lost N42m to Hajj Agent” (Nigerian Tribune, 7th January, 2008, page 15); Isioma Madike and Efe Ebelo’s “Stealing in the Name of Hajj” (Daily Independent, 7th January, 2008, page E4) earlier published as “How We Lost Millions of Naira to Travel Agent – Pilgrims” (Sunday Independent, 23rd December 2007) and Ayodele Lawal’s “Stranded Pilgrims Return to Lagos by Road”, (PM News, 18th December, 2007. MURIC is there to promote, protect and project the rights of Muslims in particular and Nigerians in general.

In reaction to these press reports, MURIC issued a press release which was published in the Daily Trust of 22nd January 2008, page 10. But this does not appear to deter BinSheikh Air Services because the company is yet to refund the victims’ money. Instead of showing remorse, the company is out again advertising and soliciting for passengers for Umrah 2008! This is alarming and it can only be possible where there is no law or where the rule of law is palpably absent.

MURIC takes the declaration of President Yar’dua that no individual shall be bigger than the law of the land very seriously. We are therefore calling the attention of law enforcement agents to the subterranean and extra-judicial activities of BinSheikh Air Services. This company has subjected citizens of this country to untold hardship and psychological trauma outside Nigerian shores. He has caused Nigerians to leave their homes under false pretence only to make them ‘unwilling prisoners’ for five whole days.   

Investigations reveal that the man behind the mask is Alhaji Abdul Rahman Arowolo, a native of Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State. His family house is at Shehu Ya-Allahu Street, off Imoru Road, Ijebu-Ode. BinSheikh’s office at No. 13, Joseph Street, Off Osho Street, Opebi, has been under lock and key since news of this atrocity began spreading. His Operation Manager, one Esther C. Barba who uses tel no 08023933456 cannot be reached. No one has seen BinSheikh a.k.a Alhaji Arowolo. He has been changing his telephone numbers like a camelion. The most current number is 08056119474.  

Alhaji Arowolo’s pedigree in fraudulent activities is frightening. Even the ‘Cotonou affair’ appears a child’s play compared with his past activities. This man appears to specialise in defrauding Islamic organisations. He allegedly defrauded the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of about N80m in 2005. A court judgement delivered recently has reportedly compelled him to refund N76m to the society. There is also another allegation that he helped himself to a huge sum of $250,000 belonging to the former governor of Oyo State. The governor of Oshun State is reported to have detained him once over a similar allegation. He may be on the wanted list of the Kwara State Government. He is accused of having abandoned his passengers in Kano during the 2007 Umrah exercise.

MURIC wants BinSheikh properly investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). We have filed all necessary documents in the EFCC office. He must refund every kobo collected from our Muslim brothers and sisters whom he tricked to go to Cotonou by land while he was rollicking in a five star hotel in Jeddah!

But above all, we seek the cooperation of gentlemen of the press. Unless you give this story the widest publicity, many innocent people will still fall victims of this Mr. Jekyll and Hyde. Already, he has gone on air again, announcing his intention to take passengers to Makkah for Umrah and Hajj in 2008.

We urge the EFCC to pick this man up before he takes us to the Alamieseigha School of Disguise and Disappearance. MURIC warns Nigerian Muslims, particularly intending pilgrims, whether for Umrah or for hajj, to beware. Experience has shown that not everyone that wears the sabaka is a decent Alhaji. Muslims are advised to travel on pilgrimage with their state government pilgrims’ boards who can easily be held accountable. They must avoid faceless travel agents.

Finally, MURIC demands the following:

1. that EFCC picks up the brain behind BinSheikh Air Services,

     Alhaji Abdul Rahman Arowolo, before he can do further damage;

1. that BinSheikh operating licence, if he has any, be revoked;
2. that he be compelled to refund every kobo collected from the ‘Cotonou group’ and
3. that in the same way that commercial banks are made to deposit certain sums of money with the Central Bank before being allowed to toy with customers’ deposits, all hajj travelling agents be compelled to pay a refundable deposit of N500m as guarantee before being allowed to operate at any point in time.

Distinguished brothers and sisters in Islam, Gentlemen of the Press, thank you for attending this press conference. May Allah bless you all.

Is-haq Akintola (Ph.D)
Associate Professor of Islamic Studies,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

Please find below the names of 83 intending pilgrims who paid to Bin Sheikh Air Services for services not rendered.

LIST OF INTENDING PILGRIMS WHO PAID TO BIN SHEIKH AIR SERVICES