Kenyan Imam Accused of Defrauding Muslims in Fake Hajj, Umrah Pilgrimage Scheme
- A trusted Imam is on the run after allegedly defrauding Kenyan muslims of millions in a fake pilgrimage scheme
- Victims say they were promised discounted Umrah and Hajj trips, only for the cleric to vanish days before departure
- Ustadh Omar from Malindi reportedly lured the victims into paying at least KSh 200,000 each for the visits
A group of Kenyan muslims are counting losses after allegedly being conned by a local Imam identified as Ustadh Omar Athman.
Source: Getty Images
The victims believe they fell for a well-orchestrated scheme involving fake promises of Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia.
How much were victims conned?
Victims from various parts of the country say they were lured into paying hundreds of thousands of shillings each to the Imam, who later vanished days before their scheduled departure.
Citizen TV reports that the religious leader, who reportedly operates out of Al-Ihsan Mosque in Malindi, is now unreachable, with his phone switched off and his whereabouts unknown.
For many, it was supposed to be a dream come true. The chance to fulfil the Islamic religious duty of pilgrimage was sold as a discounted opportunity, Umrah visas for just KSh 200,000.
But what started as a promise of spiritual fulfilment has now turned into a nightmare of financial loss and betrayal.
“I started asking questions when Ramadan was halfway through, and we had no updates,” lamented Mariam Juma, one of the affected individuals.
How victims knew they had been conned
According to the victims, they were kept in the dark regarding the documents needed and when they would leave.
They sensed trouble when they tried to call Imam Omar, and he wasn’t picking up, after which he went off-air.
Mariam Mohamed Ahmed transferred KSh 360,000 while her friend, Barke Atieno Abdalla, who introduced her to the offer, also fell prey and lost KSh 640,000.
In a desperate bid to recover her money, Juma tracked Omar’s sister to Malindi and confronted her, but she assured her that the money would be reimbursed.
Who were Imam Omar's victims?
Alongside seven others, Juma has since recorded a statement at Lang’ata Police Station and obtained an Occurrence Book (OB) number, a formal step toward launching investigations.
Hussein Hassan Ali Omar, from Nakuru, says he was conned back in 2020 in a similar scheme by the same Imam.
He says he invested KSh 300,000, while a colleague deposited KSh 200,000, both hoping to sponsor pilgrims for Umrah.
“I started getting calls from other people who had sent him money. Many are elderly women who saved up by selling potatoes and sewing,” Hussein said.
Source: Getty Images
Imam Omar planning new fraud?
The final straw came when some of the victims noticed a new Umrah trip advertisement posted on Imam Omar’s WhatsApp status, suggesting he might be planning to defraud others again.
As of now, Omar’s phone remains off. His victims, united in frustration and disbelief, are calling on the authorities to track him down and recover their hard-earned money.
Their disappointment stems from the fact that the Imam wore the cloak of religion to rob them, and that they trusted him not just as a travel agent, but as a spiritual guide.
Kenyan woman overjoyed after visiting Mecca
Arguably, the biggest desire for every Muslim faithful is to visit the holy city of Mecca on pilgrimage.
That dream recently came true for Samia Ijema, a Nairobi woman who returned home feeling like a new person.
She spent five days in Mecca before going to Madina to pay homage to Prophet Mohammad's pbuh.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
