GOVERNOR Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State has warned pilgrims from the state performing 2015 Hajj to desist from carrying prohibited drugs to the Holy Land.
Abubakar gave the warning over the weekend in Bauchi while seeing off the first batch of 255 pilgrims at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, Bauchi.
He said that Saudi Arabian authorities would not condone such act, which attracted capital punishment for such act.
He urged the pilgrims to pray for the peaceful co-existence of the people of the state and the nation at large.
Abubakar urged them not to entertain any fear as the state government had provided facilities and made feeding arrangements to ease anticipated problems.
He commended officials of the State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board for making concrete arrangements that facilitated the transportation of first batch of the pilgrims to the Holy Land.
He assured that pilgrims would be assisted both financially and morally to ensure that they performed the rite as exhibited by Prophet Mohammed (SAW).
In a related development the first batch of 523 intending Muslim pilgrims from Kano State were yesterday morning flown to Saudi Arabia in a Max Air Ltd flight from Malam Aminu Kano International Airport at 9.30 a.m.
The intending pilgrims were from six local government areas of Gwarzo, Karaye, Kiru, Shanono, Rogo and Bagwai, which make up Gwarzo zone.
Earlier on Friday night, Prof Hafiz Abubakar, the Deputy Governor of Kano State and Amirul Hajj, urged the intending pilgrims to be law-abiding while in the holy land.
He urged them to avoid acts capable of tarnishing the image of the state and the country.
‘’You should be law-abiding and exhibit good conduct while in the holy land so as not to dent the image of our state and the country,’’ he said.
Abubakar said the state government had made adequate arrangement to ensure that they performed the pilgrimage without difficulty.
Also, the Emir of Kano and National Amirul Hajj, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, urged the intending pilgrims to exhibit the highest sense of responsibility and perform the pilgrimage in accordance with Islamic teaching.
He also advised them not to take any prohibited items on the trip, saying that anyone caught in such act would face stiff penalty in Saudi Arabia.
In his address, the Executive Secretary of Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Abba Yakubu, assured the people that the board had secured decent accommodation for them in Makka and Medina.
A total of 5, 602 intending pilgrims from the state are expected to perform Hajj during the year.
