Saudi Authority Detained 400 Nigerian Women Pilgrims

The Saudi Authority yesterday detained four hundred female pilgrims from Nigeria who arrived Jeddah, Saudi to participate in this
year's hajj

Sources said the women on arrival in Jeddah were promptly separated from their male counterparts and detained for not been able to pilgrim's muharram, that is, the
approved male companion
accompanying her on the trip, usually a husband, father or brother.

The Saudi authority last
night, threatened to
deport them back to Nigeria on the next available hajj plane.

The nearly 400 women were only allowed to be supplied 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,
However the Sultan of Sokoto Muhammadu Sa'ad who is the
Amirul Hajj condemned the Saudi action and described it as "an
insult to Nigeria and to this country's millions of muslims."

He the action of Saudi authorities was a surprise because during the numerous meetings held between Nigerian and Saudi officials to prepare for this year's hajj, the issue of
muharram for female pilgrims was never raised.

They issued visas to all these pilgrims, only to embarrass, detain and threaten to deport
them when they arrived in the holy land. How can they do this
to us?

As at yesterday, Max Air alone had already delivered 9,700 pilgrims to Jeddah in 19 flights
from Abuja, Kano, Katsina and Sokoto.
9,700 Muslims from Nigeria alone, if they were to pay for fare, would all be in Saudi?