HAJJ: Ogun cautions intending pilgrims against unholy behaviour

The Chairman of Ogun State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Dr Ishaq Yusuf, on Wednesday cautioned intending pilgrims to this year’s Hajj to refrain from unholy conducts that could tarnish the image of the state and the country.

Yusuf admonished the intending pilgrims during their screening in Abeokuta.

He urged the pilgrims to protect the integrity the state had been known for in performing the Hajj.

He warned that any pilgrim who engaged in any illicit act in the holy land would be handed over to appropriate authorities for necessary sanction.

He also enjoined the intending pilgrims to make the fear of Allah their watch word as they participate in the exercise.

He explained that the screening was designed to know those who were qualified or not through their Islamic knowledge and understanding.

“If they are qualified, no problem, but for those who are not, their money will be given back to them and we will ask them to prepare for next year.

“Also the involvement of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and State Security Service (SSS) in the screening is to fish-out those with fake travelling documents.

“The exercise will also avail us the opportunity to ascertain their nationalities because we don’t want people outside the country to tarnish our reputation,” he said.

Some of the intending pilgrims, Mr Abdul Rasheed Sanni, Mrs Hussenat Sanni and Mrs Silfat Bakare, said the screening had prepared them better for the Hajj exercise.

They urged the State Government to sustain the standard of the exercise.