In a rare twist of fate, 171 female pilgrims from Nigeria who set out to fulfil a cardinal pillar of their faith in Saudi Arabia, ended up, first as detainees and then as deportees, to complete an awful trajectory in a quest to be‘better Muslims.’
They were subjected to harrowing experience by Saudi authorities in their pursuit of performing a religious obligation to their creator.
Saudi Arabia Wednesday deported the 171 female pilgrims who had gone to the Holy Land from Katsina and Taraba States. They all landed at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano from the Medina Airport, all looking dejected and with tales of woes from an unaccomplished mission. They perfectly cut the image of disappointed pilgrims captured by Kwesi Brew in his poem, “Lest We Should Be the Last.”
The pilgrims were deported aboard Max Air aircraft, with registration number 5N MBB at about 4.58pm Wednesday.
They lamented that for three days, they were detained at theMedina airport under discomforting conditions. Their crime is that they failed to showup at the airport with their guardians (husbands or male partners) described as Muharram.
The Saudi immigration law stipulates that female pilgrims coming to Saudi Arabia who are40 years and below must be accompanied by their husbandsor guardians, failing which they will not be cleared by the immigration at the point of entry, even when they have valid entry visas.
Already, posers are being raised on why Saudi Arabia, which had hitherto granted Nigeria the concession to allow its female pilgrims travel without male escorts as long as they are accompanied by officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), withdrew the concession to Nigeria.
According to a source familiar with Nigeria’s preparations for the pilgrimage, “I wonder what triggered this development; the male escort requirement has never been an issue all these years.”
When THISDAY spoke to Alhaji Tasiu Umar Malumfashi, husband of three women among those deported, he merely dismissed the rule as “totally embarrassing, shocking not only to me but to the entire family”. After picking up his three wives, he left the airport in a huff.
But the Kano State Executive Secretary of the Pilgrims’ Welfare Board, Alhaji Laminu Rabiu, who also came to the airport to receive the deported pilgrims, described the action as deceitful, since the pilgrims were in Saudi Arabia for the hajj.
About 1,000 Nigerian women in all were detained in Saudi Arabia over their failure to travel with their approved male chaperons.
One of the deported pilgrims, who identified herself as Aishatu Ismail from Taraba State, told reporters that “we have seen hell because the security people in Medina detained us for three days without food and care.
“The Saudi authorities caged usin one open space without allowing us to move an inch, and we were given no food; neither were we allowed to even buy any with our money. As you can see us now, we spent three days without food at the Medina airport.”
She lamented that all through their detention, “No any official of the Federal Government or state came to our rescue. Nobody attended to us in Medina, partly because the security officials over there just caged us and did not allow anybody to come close to us, allbecause they say we do not have guardians in our intended hajj exercise. We were terribly humiliated by the Saudi authorities.”
However, their ordeal seems not enough to dissuade Ismail and others from performing the hajj exercise in the future.
“I also hope that if the issue is settled between the Nigerian officials and the Saudi authorities, we may likely be going back for the pilgrimage,” she said.
THISDAY gathered that out of the 171 deported pilgrims, Katsina State has 111 memberswho were later flown to Katsina airport from Kano Wednesday. The Taraba State contingent, numbering 60, were taken to Kano pilgrims’ camp pending the arrival of their state officialswho will take them back to Taraba.
Sources at MAKIA told THISDAY that the deported 171 pilgrims had flown to Mecca through the Katsina airport, while the Taraba pilgrims departed through the Yola Airport.
THISDAY observed that most of the deported pilgrims were in tears, as they wore long faces and looked dejected while recounting the horrible experience they had in the hands of the Saudi Arabia authorities.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/-we-saw-hell-in-medina-lament-deported-pilgrims/126159/

Oma se o, I can only imagine how much they must have spent on this unsuccessful trip, if I should be detained for three days without food, I don't knw if I would make it.

Well, this calls for serious PROTEST & PLACKARD CARRYING; or better still, PROTEST DECAMPING to other religions that don't make noise about their pilgrimage.

Bad rule indeed.

But does the Almighty live in Saudi Arabia?
Neither does He live at Jerusalem!

His Presence fills the earth! If pilgrimage is for the sake of tourism and site seeing, it is okay, but if it is a must as part of worship, then it is deception.

Allah will not love them less.
Kudos to Saudi Arabia. . . for keeping riff-raffs out of their country.
If Saudi Arabia does not want single old-cargos roaming free and wild. . . aka doing 'private practice' around Medina. . .it should be respected.

There must be a reason why the 'come with your man' rule was recently implemented.
Some 'Hajias' are known for showing up in Medina without 'pants and bras' on.
Especially, those ones with 'filthy' gold teeth!

Wherever you have 'HOLY-HOLIES'. . . .runs must be involved.

@calloti o buru gan! you have yarned the unyarnables! na wa o!
anyway i hope they have learnt their lessons now.but whats with the rule that they must be accompanied by men? can muslims in the house explain this unfavourable law imposed on women?

berem: @calloti o buru gan! you have yarned the unyarnables! na wa o!
anyway i hope they have learnt their lessons now.but whats with the rule that they must be accompanied by men? can muslims in the house explain this unfavourable law imposed on women?

In Islam, women are like properties owned by the men.

You aint seen nothing yet. Its better you start doing your pilgrimage in Nigeria. Maiduguri or Damaturu preferably.

Callotti: Allah will not love them less.
Kudos to Saudi Arabia. . . for keeping riff-raffs out of their country.
If Saudi Arabia does not want single old-cargos roaming free and wild. . . aka doing 'private practice' around Medina. . .it should be respected.

There must be a reason why the 'come with your man' rule was recently implemented.
Some 'Hajias' are known for showing up in Medina without 'pants and bras' on.
Especially, those ones with 'filthy' gold teeth!

Wherever you have 'HOLY-HOLIES'. . . .runs must be involved.

So, what about Saudis who travel to Las Vegas and other resorts to gamble and sleep with prostitutes? If the reasons you listed above is why the women were deported, then the Saudis are hypocrites.
One of them, a Saudi prince even killed his gay partner in a hotel in England!

when they should be doing their pilgrage @osun festival waste of cash travel to far far east,that does not make them HOLY though

Not all but most of the Nigerians stopped i.e young ladies below 40 (either muslims or christians) dont go to Saudi Arabia for religious purpose...some of them go there for prostitution, illegal business, to sell cheap fake goods or buy fake product which they come home to sell...so if the law of Saudi Arabia says you should come with your husband or guidian and they were being detain in Medina for not following the rule...i dont see anything wrong with the action of the Saudi Arabia...some of these Nigerians are going there to pollute the Holyland instead of them to observe their Holy act and duties.

I think this is a good development.

nonsense, do the saudis thnk men are scarce here? this will not repeat next time, they cheatd this time by not tellng us b4hand

When THISDAY spoke to
Alhaji Tasiu Umar
Malumfashi, husband of
three women among
those deported, he merely
dismissed the rule as
“totally embarrassing,
shocking not only to me
but to the entire family”.
After picking up his three
wives, he left the airport
in a huff.

Aigbofa:

So, what about Saudis who travel to Las Vegas and other resorts to gamble and sleep with prostitutes? If the reasons you listed above is why the women were deported, then the Saudis are hypocrites.
One of them, a Saudi prince even killed his gay partner in a hotel in England!

Pros-titu-tion is legal in the State of Nevada.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Nevada

The main reason the 'Saudis' visit places like Nevada.
Most MARRIED 'BI-SE-XUALS' are hypocrites. . . INCLUDING THE CHRISTIAN ONES!
I have met some NIGERIAN ones in England too. . . ONLINE!!!!
Pastor Odulele lives in England. . .HE IS MARRIED TOO!
So was BISHOP EDDIE "NOLONGTHING"!

So what is your point?

The Saudis do not want 'fake pilgrims' in their country due to the high rate of 'pros-ti-tution' recorded in the past by these 'SINGLE, OLD-CARGO PILGRIMS'!

ONLY TURUTU BE TOLD!
Gbam!

berem: @calloti o buru gan! you have yarned the unyarnables! na wa o!
anyway i hope they have learnt their lessons now.but whats with the rule that they must be accompanied by men? can muslims in the house explain this unfavourable law imposed on women?

The truth shall set 'thee' free!
-Those SINGLE, OLD-CARGOS are HHs. . .aka 'hajiaRING-hookers'!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jahannam

WE SAW [size=20pt]HELL Jahannam [/size] IN MEDINA!

Is hell not a Christian concept?
FAKE PILGRIMS!!!

Without pants and bras. . .with EXTREMELY, SMELLY you-know-whats!
You can imagine how the plane deporting them would smell like.
Blue and white kettles to wash this and that in an aircraft!
Phuuuuuuuuum!!!




Boy! The damn 'ablution-kettles' come in different colors too!