Leadership (Abuja)
Al-Amin Ciroma
15 November 2009
Mecca — Three Nigerian pilgrims are reportedly cooling their heels at Saudi custody. According to a statement by the head of community leaders of pilgrims in Makkah, Alhaji Umar Abubakar Hadeija, the pilgrims were detained for various offences.
"The three pilgrims are Mustapha Kalingaga, from Niger State; Hassan Abdulhamid, Kaltungo Local Govt. Area, Gombe State and Adamu Ruwa from Borno State."
He said, Kalingaga, 40, was arrested on his way back from a visit to Arafat and where he missed his bearings. He spent four days in custody, while Ruwa, 70, was arrested at HARAM mosque while performing his TAWAF and spent six days.
He was allegedly arrested by the Saudi ASKAR (Police) as a pick-pocket.
Abdulhamid, 55, who is said to be a member of the Jama Atul Nasril-Islam First Aid Group, was also arrested inside the HARAM with his uniform.
The community leader said that his office was trying to meet up all necessary arrangements in seeing that the pilgrims are released. "We are trying all our possible best free them, even though, they were all mistakenly held responsible for offences they did not commit. Our pilgrims are very law abiding. Imagine the old Fulani man, Ruwa, who was innocently arrested.
He was mistaken for a pickpocket. In fact, he had his traveller's cheque with him at the time the police raided the KA'ABA for the arrest.
The case that baffled us was that of Abdulhamid, who only committed the offence of entering the mosque with a Nigerian uniform. In the case of Kalingaga, before we commence a effort for their release, he was said to have been transferred to Jeddah for deportation back to Nigeria, but I assure you that we have made all necessary arrangements for their release."
Asked whether the Nigerian ambassador to Saudi was acquainted with the problem Nigerian pilgrims are facing, Hadeja said the ambassador is fully aware and had rendered all necessary assistance to the problem. "God has blessed us with an ambassador here in Saudi. Abdullahi Garba Mutunci is always there for us here. Whenever you alert him on any problem, he make sure it is solved."
Commenting on the attitude of some state pilgrim officials, the community leader accused them of negligence.
"They are fond of displacing their pilgrims at far places, leaving them stranded and when problem come, no-one will be available. You can reach them on phone. I think the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) should as a matter of urgency charge them for this so that they will be available in their duty posts at any time."
Meanwhile, the community leader commended the leadership of NAHCON by Mohammad Musa Bello. "One has to commend the NAHCON chairman, Musa Bello, he has succeeded in transforming Hajj affairs in Nigeria." According to him, with the current dispensation Hajj problems in Nigeria will soon become history.
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