The Muslim wing of the Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board has Thursday disclosed that a female pilgrim, Ms Anifat Saheed, absconded in Jeddah during the 2019 Hajj operation in Saudi Arabia.
Chairman of the board, Professor Sayed Malik, made this disclosure during the presentation of the 2019 Hajj report to Governor Seyi Makinde of the state in Ibadan, the state capital.
Malik, while presenting the report to Makinde, said she was one of the 914 pilgrims that took part in the 2019 Hajj from the state.
According to him, the disappearance of Saheed was noticed when the board was preparing the last batch of pilgrims for their journey to King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah on September 1st.
Malik said that all efforts to locate her proved abortive.
He explained that the board tried to locate her guarantor in Sango area of Ibadan without success.
Malik said, “Up till this moment, neither her guarantor nor any of her relations has come to ask questions about her.”
He disclosed that a total of N24, 628, 900.09, was refunded to the pilgrims before their departure to Saudi Arabia due to reduction in the Hajj fare.
He called for renewal of the rent of the Oyo House in Makkah with effect from January 2020.
Malik urged Makinde to study the recommendations as contained in the report and act on them so as to have hitch-free operations in subsequent pilgrimage.
Makinde while while reacting commended Malik and other board members for a successful Hajj operation in spite of the fact that process started before his administration.
He assured the board that the recommendations would be studied and acted upon for smooth Hajj operation in 2020.
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