9th October, 2012
The Gombe State Muslims Welfare Board said on Tuesday that it had stopped six pregnant women from performing this year’s pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Alhaji Gidado Maigana, the Executive Secretary of the board, made this known in an interview with journalists at the Pilgrims Hajj Camp, Lawanti Village, in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.
“They are not going. Actually, we are not going to allow them to go.
“We have informed them. We don’t want a situation where we will have problems with authorities of Saudi Arabia. We are going to have a hitch-free hajj,’’ Maigana said.
He said that the intending female pilgrims would undergo another round of pregnancy test before departure to ascertain their pregnancy status.
NAN recalled that a scanning machine was installed at the airport to conduct pregnancy test for the female pilgrims before departure.
The female pilgrims had earlier been tested at the state Specialist Hospital and six of the women were found to be pregnant.
In 2011, a female pilgrim from the state delivered of a baby in Saudi Arabia, adding that this was responsible for the reduction of the state’s hajj seats in 2012 by 10.
Maigana said 2,555 pilgrims from Gombe State would embark on the trip to Saudi Arabia.