"TABOO" More Ngeria 512 female pilgrims deported

"TABOO" More Nigeria 512 female pilgrims deported

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•Nigeria may boycott hajj

Five hundred and twelve more female Nigerian pilgrims were deported by the Saudi Arabian authorities last night, as a diplomatic row looms between Nigeria and the Arab country, following the humiliation of many of the female pilgrims to this year’s Hajj.

Nigeria is allegedly threatening not to participate in future hajj in protest. Federal Government said it would take drastic action should the Saudi Arabian authorities fail to resolve the issue that had resulted in denying the female pilgrims, the right to perform this year’s Hajj.
The 512 flown back to the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano brought to 683 the number of female pilgrims deported for being without male companion (Mahram). They had been detained in Jeddah and Medina alongside others before they were deported to Nigeria. The new arrivals came in via Max Air. They were mostly from Kano, Jigawa and Katsina States.
A few of them were from Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara. They all complained of shabby treatment in Saudi Arabia. Reacting to the development, which was reported to have affected only Nigerian female pilgrims, Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, had summoned the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Nigeria, Khaled Abdrabuh to his office to register Nigeria’s displeasure with the treatment meted out to her pilgrims and issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Saudi authority to resolve the issue. The ultimatum expired today.
On what action government intends to take should the Saudi Arabian authorities fail to heed Nigeria’s warning, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Umar Sani said it was too sudden as Saudi Arabia still had till today to resolve the issue. He also expressed the hope that the issue would be resolved amicably. However, sources in the presidency said the government was not prepared to take the issue lightly.
The sources said government was prepared to go to the extent of boycotting Hajj, if the Saudi Arabian authorities failed to right the wrong done to Nigerian citizens. Besides, Sambo requested the Saudi Arabian authorities to apply caution and flexibility to allow the pilgrims undertake their sacred religious duties. Sani quoted Sambo to have said: “Should the Saudi authorities not desired our pilgrims to perform this year’s Hajj, they should let the country know.” He said no reasonable and responsible government would sit and fold its arms while its citizens are maltreated.
The vice president, therefore, requested the ambassador to do all within his powers to ensure that the issues were resolved within 24 hours, and the outcome communicated to him. While explaining the position of his government, Abdrabuh said Nigeria was not being treated in isolation, and that all the countries participating in the Hajj were affected. He said the issue of Mahram for female pilgrims was not a new policy, but that the Saudi Government decided to be flexible in the past.
He revealed that the ministries of Hajj, Foreign Affairs and Interior and the governor of Mecca were meeting in Riyadh, the country’s capital, with a view to resolving the impasse speedily. Abdrabuh expressed the hope that the matter would be resolved within 24 hours.