The Saudi authorities have stepped up the deportation of unaccompanied Nigerian female pilgrims, sending back to Nigeria 508 of them Thursday night.
A man was also among the deportees. He was said to have decided to return home after the Saudis also denied entry to his wife, according to Alhaji Uba Mana, spokesman of the Hajj Commission.
Close to 1,000 female pilgrims, who landed in Saudi without male companions, have so far been sent back to Nigeria, prompting Nigeria’s National Hajj Commission announce the suspension of flights to Saudi Arabia.
Last night, the Hajj commission described the development as “”unprecedented and worrisome”.
“After consultation with all stakeholders, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has been compelled to temporarily suspend all Hajj flights for the next 48 hours,” the commission said in a statement.
The commission said more than 1,000 women were being detained at the King Abdulazeez International Airport in Jeddah and Prince Muhammad Ibn Azeez International Airport in Madina.
The suspension of all flights would enable the commission to “appraise the situation critically”, it said.
An airport official in Jeddah said the women have been denied entry because “they are not accompanied by a mahram (the statutory male companion),” adding that talks were continuing between Saudi and Nigerian officials.
The women began arriving at Jeddah airport on Sunday.
About 171 of them flew home to Nigeria on Wednesday. Another batch of 102 returned to the country on Thursday, airport officials said.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday set up a five-member team to negotiate with the Saudi authorities, an official statement said.
Nigerian and Saudi officials held a “fruitful meeting” Thursday in Abuja on the issue, the leader of the Nigerian team to the talks, Aminu Tambuwal, told reporters.
Tambuwal, speaker of the lower house of parliament, did not give further details.
UPDATE: Saudi deports 908 more female pilgrims •FG halts hajj operations •Saudi Ambassador promises resolution
THE Federal Government’s efforts at saving the embattled detained female Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia is yet to yield positive results as 908 female pilgrims will arrive in Nigeria this morning.
Of the 908, Ogun State is said to have 94; Osun 76 and Oyo 23. Others are pilgrims from Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara states.
Yesterday, another 102 female pilgrims from Sokoto State were deported.
This is just as the National Hajj Commission, on Thursday halted the hajj operations for two days.
The Public Relations Officer, Sokoto State Pilgrim Welfare Board, Alhaji Faruk Umar, said the deported female pilgrims arrived at the Sultan Abubakar International Airport by 5.30 a.m.
He said the deportees were airlifted to the holy land on Wednesday morning, only to be deported the following day.
He, however, said the women were not part of the 1,000 female Nigerian pilgrims earlier detained by the Saudi authorities.
Common sense is indeed not common.
Posted: at 28-09-2012 01:40 AM (12 years ago) | Hero
poultryman at 28-09-2012 02:15 AM (12 years ago) (m)
no husband no entry
Posted: at 28-09-2012 02:15 AM (12 years ago) | Newbie
Dis saudi people are serious o but nigerian govt can not tell us dat dat clause of a man accompany dat age bracket of female prigrim was not read to them wen they had meeting wit d saudi prigrim officials. Maybe they didn't tell d women.
Posted: at 28-09-2012 06:21 AM (12 years ago) | Addicted Hero
While are they deceiving themselves in the name of religion? Saudis are Muslim, where they do not tolerate adultery and fornication as our own Muslim in the North.married and defiling the young ones. After alot of killings with boko haram they still believe that another virgins are still waiting for them in Heaven. HEAVEN is no an Hotel or Brothel.
Posted: at 28-09-2012 10:03 AM (12 years ago) | Upcoming
malaika1 at 28-09-2012 10:31 AM (12 years ago) (m)
Just because we are involve in this prigrilmage thing Moslems & Christians alike, No one has seen anything wrong with it. it is rather a waste of our resources. Govt should stop sponsoring people to this so-call prigrilmage. Nigerians are just too religious, the people who brought this religion to us as a tool to colonize us, gain power and get hold of our resources are not fanatical as Nigerians. Africans especially Nigerians should have a rethink. There is no one verse in the Holy Quran neither the Holy Bible that have prigrilmage as a criteria to make heaven. Let us look into how much is spent on the prigrimage yearly, I think it is enough to make a difference in people's life. Just tell me who are the people going for this prigrilmage yearly....The Islam is from Saudi Arabia.. i didn't see dem protesting against da Anti Islam film then why are you protesting first?Why don't you make Saudi to show you people example before fall out...And at da end of da day you will kill each other in da Name of Religion. Pls can some one give me the meaning of Religion
Posted: at 28-09-2012 10:31 AM (12 years ago) | Newbie
bimbohlah at 28-09-2012 11:32 AM (12 years ago) (m)
Most annoying of all is that Nigerians atimes behave like sheep! You heard some people were being detained and you fall into same category yet you still embarked on the journey! Common! bleat! bleat!! bleat!!!
Posted: at 28-09-2012 11:32 AM (12 years ago) | Newbie
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