2 Oyo pilgrims detained by Saudi authorities for drug-related offence

Two of the 1,191 pilgrims from Oyo State who performed this year’s Hajj were detained by the Saudi Arabian authorities for a drug-related offence.

Alhaji Adeleke AbdulKareem, the Secretary, Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Monday.

Abdulkareem said the affected pilgrims were females, adding that one of them escaped while the other was still in detention.

He said that the drug found with the pilgrims was Tramador, a contraband in Saudi Arabia, which the pilgrims had been warned against.

The secretary also said that two other pilgrims from the state died due to ill health before Arafat Day.

Abdulkareem said that the last batch of pilgrims from the state arrived Nigeria on Oct. 11.

He warned pilgrims to always comply with the rules and regulation of the Saudi authorities to avoid being arrested or tarnishing the country’s image.