Chat 212 - News Summary...
- 25 Nigerians ostensibly in Saudi Arabia to perform this year’s Hajj have been arrested for stealing.
- The thieves robbed pilgrims inside the grand mosque and broke into several shops and houses in Makkah.
Chat 212 - Newsmail Report...
A least 25 Nigerians ostensibly in Saudi Arabia to perform this year’s Hajj have been arrested for stealing.
The thieves, whose identities were yet to be disclosed, “but all with prior criminal records, have been arrested in Makkah,” according to Saudi Gazette, quoting Makkah police spokesman, Lt.-Col. Abdul Mohsin Al-Maiman.
“The thieves robbed pilgrims inside the grand mosque and broke into several shops and houses in Makkah. Several members of the gang were arrested red-handed and they guided the police to other members, who were hiding in an old building on Al-Mansour St.
“No fewer than 80 cell phones and over SR50, 000 in currency were seized from them,” the report said. About 1.38 million pilgrims from Nigeria and 117 other countries are performing the Hajj this year, according to Saudi Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee, Prince Muhammad Bin Naif.
Saudi Gazette quoted Prince Muhammad as saying that of the 1, 379, 531 foreign pilgrims, 752, 424 were men representing 55 per cent and 627, 107 were women forming 45 percent of the pilgrims.
“The number of pilgrims this year was less by 377, 439 (about 21 per cent) compared to last year,” the paper said. “The number of pilgrims who arrived by air was over 1.29 million. Over 72, 000 pilgrims arrived by sea and 14, 898 by land,” it added.
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