Missing Kebbi pilgrims rescued in Mecca

No fewer than three missing Nigerian pilgrims have been rescued by the Kebbi Government officials (KGOs) in Mecca, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The government officials are pilgrims sponsored by the state government to perform Hajj, at the same time assist the pilgrims where necessary.

Speaking in Mecca on Tuesday, one of the KGOs, Alhaji Nasir Idris, the Executive Director, Women’s Right Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), Kebbi branch, said they had rescued a woman from Kamba Local Government Area.

He said the woman missed her way back home, instead, she further went behind the Al-Masjid Al-Haram (Kaaba) leading to a different area.

“As KGOs, we have to intervene and redirect her back home through a taxi service,” he said.

Enumerating some activities of the KGOs, 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 Hajjj exercise.

He said the activities of KGOs were not restricted to Kebbi alone but they render assistance to all the pilgrims from Nigeria, whenever  such an assistance was needed.

“We recently rescued two women from Bauchi State who missed their way to their hotel but the quick intervention of the KGOs led them to their hotels without any difficulty,” Idris said.

The CEO said the humanitarian services being rendered by the KGOs 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.

He said, ”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.”