Nigerian Pilgrims Lose $1,700 To Pickpockets

Two Nigerian pilgrims from the Federal Capital Territory, yesterday in Jerusalem, lost $1,700 to pickpockets, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

It was gathered that the two pilgrims discovered that their money disappeared after buying some items from hawkers at Mountain Olive and Mountain Zion.

One of the victims, Mr. Yusuf Katukak, told NAN that he lost his money in the process of buying some pictures at Mountain Olive.

“I had $80 in $20 bills. I removed one and paid and asked the seller of the item I purchased to give me my balance.

“In the process, one of the guys put his hands in my pocket and removed my 60 dollars,” he said, describing the incident as painful.

Dr. Nandul Durfa, who also lost his money to pickpockets, told NAN that he was negotiating to buy a cap at Mountain Zion when two guys removed the one he was wearing and replaced it with a Jewish cap.

“In a splitsecond, one of them unzipped my bag and took my wallet without me knowing until I went back to the bus.

“Unfortunately, they also took $1,100 from a wallet I had given to our team leader for safe keeping,” he said.

The group leader, Bishop Edwin Jarumai, who confirmed the incidents, described the loss of money by the Nigerians as unfortunate.