Nigeria’s Hajj Commission clarifies return of pilgrims from Saudi Arabia
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has refuted allegations that more than 600 Nigerian pilgrims failed to return home after completing the lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Shehu Sani, a former senator representing Kaduna Central, made the claim in a tweet on his official X handle on Saturday, sparking concerns about potential visa restrictions by Saudi authorities.
“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.
Responding to the allegation, NAHCON’s Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Fatima Usara, denied the claims, stressing that there is no record of such.
“We do not have such correspondence or information from Saudi Arabia, neither did we receive such information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Immigration Services of both countries,” she the Punch Newspaper.
Senator Sani’s allegations surfaced shortly after President Bola Tinubu removed Jalal Arabi, the former Chairman of the Hajj Commission, from his position due to alleged mismanagement and embezzlement of N90 billion in government-provided Hajj subsidy funds.
Reports say a total of 51,477 Nigerian pilgrims participated in the recently concluded Hajj exercise in Jeddah and Mina, having paid a total of N6.9 million to perform the religious ritual.
