A Nigerian pilgrim last week escaped being deported by the Saudi Arabian authorities by the whiskers as he was arrested among illegal immigrants in Makkah.

It was reliably informed that the pilgrim (name withheld) was arrested by Saudi police who raided a house full of illegal immigrants and arrested everyone found at the time of the raid.

It was gathered that the pilgrim, who was arrested alongside others found in the building, was saved by the wristband put on the wrists of all pilgrims performing this year’s Hajj.

The band, it was learnt, distinguished the Nigerian pilgrim as being in the country legally to perform the spiritual exercise, having been granted visa by the Saudi authorities.

A source informed that when the police realised that the pilgrim was not an illegal immigrant, he was dropped off somewhere to find his way back to his hotel in Makkah.

Being in an unknown place, the pilgrim, according to the source, called another pilgrim who in turn informed Nigerian officials. The officials were said to have gone to pick the pilgrim from where he was dropped off by the Saudi police.

An official of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), who confirmed the incident on condition of anonymity, said their people went to pick the pilgrim back to his hotel.

The official informed that the pilgrim on interrogation told them that he went to the house to visit his relative who had been living in Saudi Arabia for some time when the raid was conducted.

“He told us that he wanted to seize the opportunity of being in Makkah to visit his relative, who he said he called to describe where he was leaving.

“The relative described the house to him and he went to visit but unfortunately for him, the Saudi police raided the house as of the time he was there,” the NAHCON official said.

The official, who informed that the incident happened shortly before Arafat day, warned Nigerian pilgrims to be mindful of where they go during the rest of their stay in Saudi Arabia. “Our pilgrims must be mindful of where they go and what they do henceforth before they return to Nigeria. Saudi Arabia law is respecter of nobody.

“Anyone caught doing anything illegal will face the appropriate sanction as stipulated by the laws here. It is in view of this that I am appealing to our people (pilgrims) to be law abiding and careful of where they go and what they do here till they will depart Saudi Arabia for Nigeria,” the official said. (Courtesy, excluding headline, Nigerian Tribune)

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