About 550 pilgrims from Lagos State, yesterday, went through a terrible experience as they were stranded at the King Adulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for more than six hours on their arrival in the Holy Land to perform this year's hajj.

The pilgrims who arrived at the airport, at 4.40pm on Thursday could not leave the facility until 2.30 am the next day as their luggage could not be found.

Many of the pilgrims, particularly women wept openly as the luggage of over 80 percent of the intending pilgrims were missing.

Sources told LEADERSHIP WEEKEND that the luggage were returned to Lagos by the airline that conveyed the pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, because they were not tagged.

Sources said that the Saudi authorities were shocked to discover that the luggage were not tagged. This created a rowdy scene at the airport as the pilgrims searched for their belongings.

When the scenario at the airport was becoming an embarrassment to the Saudi authorities, they were forced to promise getting the luggage across to the pilgrims.

As at the time of filling this report, most of the pilgrims were yet to get their luggage.

A source with the Lagos State Pilgrims Welfare Board, however blamed the airline for the embarrassing situation. He promised that the luggage would be sent to them in Medina within 48 hours.