Kano hajj board disqualifies 12 women found pregnant

Twelve intending female pilgrims from Kano State would no longer perform this year’s pilgrimage to the holy land because they have been found to be pregnant.

Under the ground rules guiding hajj operation, pregnant women and other pilgrims with peculiar medical challenges are discouraged from attempting to perform the spiritual journey.

Public Relations Officer of Kano State Pilgrims Board, Nuhu Badamasi, told The Guardian that the women, who were discovered to be pregnant during screening
exercise, would not be allowed for 2015 operation.

The spokesperson of the board disclosed that the pregnant persons, if not detected, would have made Kano to lose 25 seats and other stiffer penalties from the Saudi Arabia authority.
“It is part of the rules and regulations released by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria that women who are pregnant would not be allowed to go for hajj. So, it is just automatic that those women discovered positive to pregnancy test would not participate this year.

‘’The penalty would have been reduction of the allocated seats by 25, and if it happens that any of the woman puts to bed in the holy land, the penalty would have been stiffer. We have announced severally to that effect but we know some people would want to do otherwise, that was why we subjected the intending
female pilgrims to test,’’ Badamasi noted.
According to him, approval would be granted to allow the affected persons to give their seats to relatives for automatic concession, while the women can still apply to participate in next hajj.

Badamasi maintained that 5,540 intending pilgrims from Kano are currently undergoing screening across the 44 local government headquarters to examine their physical fitness, medical history and other determinants required for smooth operation. He said the exercise would end 12th July, 2015.

Meanwhile, the board has approved final hajj fares for 2015 operation. According to the list obtained by The Guardian, premium seat (maximum) goes for N925,900, medium N826,900 and minimum cost N786,900. Pilgrims are expected to complete their payment before 15th of July, 2015.