Claims that more than 600 Nigerian pilgrims stayed in Saudi Arabia after completing a shorter Hajj exercise in Jeddah have been refuted by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, which notes that neither the Saudi nor Nigerian governments have any records of such individuals.
Shehu Sani, a former senator from Kaduna Central, made the assertion in a tweet on his official X (previously Twitter) feed on Saturday, expressing worry about the Saudi authorities tightening visa regulations.
“Over 600 Nigerians who travelled to Saudia for lesser Hajj refused to return and this will compel the Saudi authorities to tighten their visa rules. Many of those who want to travel will likely be tossed,” Sani wrote.
“We do not have such correspondence or information from Saudi Arabia, nor did we receive such information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Immigration Services of both countries,” asserted Fatima Usara, Deputy Director of Public Affairs at NAHCON, in response to the allegations.
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Senator Sani’s allegation follows President Bola Tinubu’s dismissal of Jalal Arabi, the previous chairman of the Hajj commission, a few days ago due to allegations of misappropriation and misuse of N90 billion in government-provided monies for the Hajj.
As a guest of the King of Saudi Arabia during the recently concluded Hajj rites, some pilgrims confided in Justice Abdullahi Haroon (retd.), a former Grand Kadi in the Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal, that they were paid $200 instead of $500 as a travelling allowance. Haroon has urged the Federal Government to ensure a thorough probe of the N90bn Hajj subsidy mismanagement.
“I want this matter to be thoroughly investigated and whoever is found to be part of this act of dishonesty that caused suffering to our pilgrims should not be spared,” stated Justice Haroon (retd.) in reference to the ongoing investigations.
“I was in Makkah during the last pilgrimage as a guest of King Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and some pilgrims confessed to me that many of them were only given $200 instead of $500 and when they got to Saudi, they were only given the equivalent of $200 in Riyal. That was how they took money from pilgrims.
“In fact, it is embarrassing that people who travelled to serve God will be the ones to violate God’s law. You must be just and transparent.”
