Four hundred female pilgrims from Nigeria that arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia yesterday to participate in this year’s annual hajj were promptly separated from their male counterparts and detained by the Saudi authorities.
The Saudis demanded to see each female pilgrim’s muharram, that is, the approved male companion accompanying her on her trip, usually a husband, father or brother.
When they could not produce any, the Saudis promptly detained them and as at last night, were threatening to deport them back to Nigeria on the next available hajj plane.
We learnt that the pilgrims had arrived Jeddah in two separate Max Air flights yesterday afternoon.
One of the planes was conveying pilgrims from Jigawa State while the second plane had pilgrims from Sokoto State
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The nearly 400 women were only allowed to be supplied with water and food by the Saudis after strenuous efforts by the Nigerian Consul in Jeddah and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Alhaji Nurudeen.
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