No fewer than three missing Nigerian pilgrims have been rescued by the Kebbi Government Officials in Mecca, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The officials are also pilgrims sponsored by the state government to perform Hajj, while at the same time, they are to assist the pilgrims where necessary.
Speaking in Mecca on Tuesday, one of the officials, Nasir Idris, the Executive Director, Women’s Right Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), Kebbi branch, said they had rescued a woman who hails from Kamba Local Government Area.
He said the woman missed her way back to the camp, and had further gone behind the Al-Masjid Al-Haram (Kaaba), leading to a different area.
“As Kebbi government officials, we intervened and redirected her back home through a taxi service,” he said.
Enumerating some activities of the officials, Idris said some of them sometimes assist in translation and stand as intermediaries due to language barrier.
Idris added that they also offer useful suggestions to committees to ensure the success of the Hajj exercise.
He said the activities of the Kebbi officials are not restricted to pilgrims from Kebbi alone but they also render assistance to all the pilgrims from Nigeria whenever they need assistance.
“We recently rescued two women from Bauchi State who missed their way to their hotels. Our quick intervention led them to their hotels without any difficulty,” Idris said.
The CEO said the humanitarian services being rendered by the Kebbi officials would be sustained throughout the Hajj operation. He, therefore, appealed for more support and cooperation of the pilgrims to ensure a successful Hajj exercise.
Idris advised the pilgrims to always move in groups to avoid missing their directions, adding, “They should always be cautious in spending their basic travelling allowance.
“They should also be routinely asking the clerics for guidance on the proper Hajj rituals for them to perform an acceptable Haj.” (NAN)
