About 900 pilgrims reportedly absconded while on pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 2017, says the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
The NAHCON’s Commissioner in charge of Policy, Personnel Management and Finance, Mr. Yusuf Adebayo, told stakeholders at a meeting, in Lagos, that such absconding pilgrims were only wasting their time as they would be found out sooner or later by the Saudi authorities.
“We have also observed that about 900 Nigerians did not return with their state contingents after the 2017 pilgrimage; some did not even perform the hajj rites before absconding,” he said.Adebayo urged pilgrims to always adhere strictly to the regulations guarding hajj exercise so as to enjoy full spiritual benefits of the exercise.
He further advised intending pilgrims for the 2018 Hajj to make early preparation to avoid unnecessary challenges, saying “most of the challenges we usually face are due to late preparation and the Saudi authorities have taken stringent steps to ensure that they do not recur in 2018.”