- 42,000 Nigerians in Saudi for Hajj
By Tajudeen Balogun
No fewer than 269,000 individuals without official permits have been prevented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) authority from entering Makkah, ahead of the peak of this year’s Hajj exercise.
KSA authorities said late on Sunday that the move followed efforts to control overcrowding and ensure safety during the annual Islamic ritual.
The Kingdom’s Interior Ministry pointed out that the measure targets both foreign nationals and Saudi residents, attempting to perform Hajj without authorisation.
Consequently, fines of up to $5,000 and possible deportation have been slammed on violators.
In addition, KSA authorities have penalised over 23,000 residents for breaking Hajj regulations and revoked the licences of 400 Hajj service providers.
The New Diplomat gathered that in line with the rules, only those with permits are allowed to perform the pilgrimage, even if they live in the city year-round.
KSA official, Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Omari, told journalists at a briefing that: “The pilgrim is in our sight, and anyone who disobeys is in our hands.”
The New Diplomat also gathered that the current strict enforcement came amid growing concerns about the impact of unauthorised pilgrims on public safety.
It was gathered that many of those who died last year during extreme summer heat were found to be unregistered participants.
The New Diplomat reliably gathered that out of estimated 1.4 pilgrims, about 42,000 Nigerians are participating in the current Hajj rites, which started six days ago.
Earlier before the inbound flight (airlift of Nigeria’s pilgrims to KSA) which started May 9, in Owerri, Imo State, South East Nigeria, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has warned the intending pilgrims against traveling without proper permits.
NAHCON Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Prof Abdullahi Saleh Usman handed down the consequences of such illegal conduct and effects on Nigeria’s image.
Meanwhile, KSA has deployed the use of drones in the ongoing exercise.
Officials explained that the drones will assist in crowd monitoring, surveillance, and firefighting.
The News Diplomat reports that Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is a religious duty for Muslims who are physically and financially capable to undertake the journey at least once in their lifetime.
The ongoing exercise will climax gradually with the mount of Arafat on Thursday, June 5 and end on Friday, June 6, 2025, with slaughtering of sacrificial animals.
