The Nasarawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board said it stopped nine pregnant women from performing this year’s hajj to Saudi Arabia.
The leader of the board’s medical team, Dr Usman Saleh, made the disclosure while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lafia.
“After thorough medical examination, we discovered that nine women, who, though, have fully paid their hajj fare, are pregnant.
“We had to drop them from the list since they cannot perform this year’s pilgrimage as it is against Saudi Arabia’s law”.
He said screening of the pregnant women was also in consonance with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria’s directives.
Saleh said the board would conduct final screening before the transportation of the intending pilgrims to ensure compliance with prescribed medical requirement by the Saudi authority.
He assured the state intending pilgrims of full medical coverage while in Holy land and commended the state government for consenting to their needs.
Meanwhile, the board’s Public Relations Officer, Abdulrrazak Muahmmad said it was already conducting investigation over allegation of fraud against some staff over this year’s hajj.
Muhammed said about 20 intending pilgrims from different local government areas of the state had accused some staff of the board of corruption.
“They alleged that they paid the prescribed hajj fares to some staff of the board but wondered why they could not find their names on the list released by the board.”
Muhammad said any one found culpable would be sanctioned. (NAN)