Mustapha Isah Kwaru
1 January 2009
Three Borno State pilgrims who performed the recently concluded hajj were prosecuted and jailed by the Saudi Arabian authorities for various offences, the state Amirul Hajj and Chairman of the 2008 Hajj committee, Alhaji Baba Ahmed Jidda, said in Maiduguri yesterday.
Jidd, who doubles as the Secretary to the State Government, disclosed this while presenting report of the committee to Governor Ali Sheriff at the Government House. He said the affected pilgrims were found guilty of violating the Saudi Kingdom laws and were subsequently convicted.
Similarly, Jidda told Governor Sheriff that four other worshippers died at the holy land for various ailments and that the entire pilgrims from the state have prayed Almighty God to grant the deceased persons eternal rest.
The SSG said governor's visit to the pilgrims camp in Saudi Arabia coupled with the gift of money given to them have encouraged them to be diligent during the worship.
He stated that all pilgrims returned home safely with their luggage as against the former situation when they normally spent long time before being conveyed.
The Amirul Hajj commended government for providing conducive accommodation for the pilgrims and stressed that additional time be set aside for screening the worshipers.
Responding, Sheriff thanked the members of committee for a job well done which led to hitch-free hajj exercise and declared that henceforth the committee would be the one to be supervising hajj operations in the next years.
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