National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has sought the support of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on sensitizing Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia on the danger in trafficking drugs to the Kingdom, where the penalty for such actions when caught is death.
This was disclosed on Tuesday when the commission’s chairman, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, led a delegation to the headquarters of the drug-fighting agency.
A statement made available to Tribune Online by the NAHCON’s Head, Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, Hassan declared that illicit drug trafficking was one of the endemic vices challenging security personnel globally.
He added that NAHCON is particularly concerned over the Nigerian-Saudi Arabian route since the Kingdom is one of the precincts where the Commission’s major obligations are discharged.
While expressing confidence that Saudi Arabian authorities will soon lift its ban on entry into the Kingdom for Nigerian Muslims to perform Umrah and hopefully the 2022 Hajj, Hassan said it was NAHCON’s tradition to partner with NDLEA in sensitising pilgrims on the adverse effect of trafficking drugs to Saudi Arabia during the pilgrimage.
According to the chairman, by its request, NAHCON intended to leave no stone unturned in its desire to ensure that few miscreants do not cost the Nigerian Muslim citizenry their right for legitimate travel into the Kingdom for Hajj or Umrah.
He described the situation as disturbing that even innocent people are implicated in the drug trafficking saga and expressed confidence in NDLEA’s exploits, saying that, that was what inspired the delegation’s visit to the anti-drug trafficking agency.
Responding, NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (retd), corroborated Hassan’s submission that illicit drug menace in Nigeria is ugly, describing the situation as “worse since those who are supposed to apprehend the criminal trade are also found complicit in it.”
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Marwa expressed delighted that NAHCON was taking the war against drug trafficking seriously and assured Hajj Commission of the NDLEA’s readiness to strengthen the partnership and work with NAHCON both in Nigeria and offshore in Saudi Arabia.
According to Marwa, Nigeria was well respected by Saudi Arabia which high-powered delegation from its drug war agency had visited the NDLEA office to carve out a teamwork strategy, adding that if not for the Covid-19 pandemic, the two countries would have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by now on the illegal drug trade war.
He, however, promised to collaborate with FAAN in luggage handling and monitoring at the airports to curtail cases like those of Zainab for whom the story would have been tragic if President Muhammadu Buhari had not intervened.
In another development, the NAHCON chairman, on Wednesday, solicited the support of the Lagos State government for the commission’s activities.
Hassan sought the government’s support’s in the area of the Hajj Savings’ Scheme, the Hajj Institute of Nigeria and prayed to the state government to sponsor its staff for training.
The NAHCON Chairman explained that the delegation was in Lagos particularly to seek the state government’s support in getting a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for its land situated in the heart of Lagos.
Hassan lamented that out of 30 hectares of NAHCON land secured since 1975, encroachment had gulped over 95%, leaving NAHCON with only three hectares out of 30.
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