When Bandits Seek God: The Absurdity of Unholy Pilgrimage By Bala Ibrahim
Last Sunday, the Department of State Services (DSS) announced the arrest of two high-profile kidnap kingpins as they attempted to leave Nigeria for Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj—the sacred Islamic pilgrimage. The suspects, who had been on the DSS watchlist for over a year, were apprehended during screening at the Abuja and Sokoto Hajj camps. Their mission? To use ransom proceeds to finance a religious obligation—an audacious and spiritually dishonest act.
Yahaya Yakubu from Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory was arrested at the Abuja Hajj camp, while Sani Aliyu Galadi from Zamfara State was nabbed in Sokoto. Their attempts to “outsmart God” by laundering the proceeds of crime into religious virtue were foiled. Just yesterday, three additional wanted kidnappers were also intercepted by DSS operatives at the Abuja Hajj camp under similar circumstances.
In a related development, reports from Saudi Arabia confirmed the arrest of the wife and mother of Ado Aliero—a notorious bandit leader and one of Nigeria’s most wanted criminals. The two women, living under false identities, were apprehended through a coordinated intelligence-led operation. Aliero, infamous for masterminding kidnappings and violent attacks in Zamfara and its environs, appears to have used ransom money to send his family on religious pilgrimage—another brazen attempt to purify ill-gotten wealth through sacred rites.
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This behavior is not only criminal but spiritually absurd. In Islam, ransom-taking is akin to robbery and is considered a grave sin punishable under Sharia law. It is worse than theft because it involves coercion and violence, and directly threatens the safety and dignity of the victim. Banditry, likewise, is regarded as a form of warfare against God and humanity. Both acts are unequivocally condemned in Islam and represent gross injustices that provoke divine wrath.
Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a sacred journey meant for spiritual purification, penance, and renewal of faith. It demands not only physical and emotional preparation but also financial integrity. The ritual must be financed through halal (lawful) earnings. Money tainted by fraud, terrorism, or crime renders the pilgrimage spiritually null and morally hollow. Islam teaches that wealth used for Hajj must be pure—untainted by injustice or exploitation.
Therefore, any attempt to use ransom money—a product of pain, fear, and bloodshed—to fulfill a religious obligation is not only a contradiction of faith but an affront to God. It reflects the worst form of hypocrisy: seeking divine favor while defying divine commandments. This is spiritual adultery—an act of betraying one’s professed values in pursuit of piety dressed in pretense.
As the saying goes, “As you sow, so shall you reap.” Those who think they are outsmarting God by enjoying the fruits of sin while pursuing religious validation are only deceiving themselves. The devil thrives in such delusions. You cannot break God’s laws and expect to escape consequences. Karma, like divine justice, never sleeps—it watches, waits, and strikes.
There is an apt proverb: “Every day is for the thief, but one day is for the owner.” It reminds us that while criminals may enjoy fleeting success, justice will eventually prevail. When the thief attempts to con God—as these kidnappers and bandits have done—the reckoning is even more certain, and more severe.
It is utterly ridiculous—indeed, a foolish act of spiritual imbecility—to rob Peter in order to pay Paul, especially when Paul is God. May the law of karma continue to expose and shame such hypocrisy. And may Allah protect the sanctity of our faith and the purity of our rituals.
Ameen.
