The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has strongly refuted claims that over 600 Nigerian pilgrims remained in Saudi Arabia illegally after completing the lesser Hajj.
The allegations, which were made by former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani, have sparked concerns about potential visa restrictions from Saudi authorities.
Senator Sani took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, suggesting that these pilgrims had refused to return to Nigeria, a situation he claimed could lead to tighter visa regulations by Saudi Arabia.
“Over 600 Nigerians who traveled to Saudi for the lesser Hajj refused to return, and this will compel the Saudi authorities to tighten their visa rules. Many of those who want to travel will likely be tossed,” Sani tweeted.
However, NAHCON’s Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Fatima Usara, categorically denied the senator’s assertions, clarifying that there was no substantiating evidence from either the Saudi or Nigerian authorities to support such claims.
“We have not received any such correspondence or information from Saudi Arabia, nor have we been notified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Immigration Services of both countries,” Usara told The PUNCH.
This controversy emerges in the wake of President Bola Tinubu’s recent dismissal of Jalal Arabi, the former Chairman of the Hajj Commission, amid allegations of mismanagement and the diversion of ₦90 billion in Hajj subsidy funds.
According to Naija News, a total of 51,477 Nigerian pilgrims participated in the recently concluded Hajj pilgrimage, traveling to Jeddah and Mina. Each pilgrim paid ₦6.9 million for the religious exercise.
The 2024 Hajj pilgrimage began with the inaugural flight from Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Kebbi on May 15, 2024, carrying 422 pilgrims. The final return flight, with 286 pilgrims, landed in Ilorin, Kwara State, on July 16, 2024.
Senator Sani’s claim implies that the alleged 600 pilgrims have been in Saudi Arabia for about six weeks following the conclusion of the pilgrimage. However, NAHCON has firmly dismissed these allegations as baseless.
