Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Ahead of di 2024 Hajj, di National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) don gbab four pipo wey dey allegedly plan to carry cocaine go Saudi Arabia.
Di anti-narcotics agency say di four pipo bin lodge for one hotel for Lagos wia dem dey package di wraps of cocaine wey dem wan swallow bifor dem travel go Hajj for di holy land.
Hajj na one of di most important tins for Islam as e follow for di five pillars of di religion.
Evri year, na millions of Muslims from all ova di world dey gada for Mecca, Saudi Arabia, wey bi di holiest site for Islam - to perform dis holy ceremony.
Earlier dis year, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) bin put di price at N4.9 million ($3,400), but on Sunday 24 March, di commission send message give pipo wey bin don pay di amount to tell dem say dem still gatz pay anoda N1.9 million ($1,300) on or bifor Friday, 29 March, to complete am.
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Di reason for dis hike, according to di Hajj commission na sake of forex volatility wey Nigeria dey experience currently.
Why pilgrims dey traffic drug go Saudi Arabia
Wia dis foto come from, NDLEA
BBC News Pidgin tok to di NDLEA communication pesin Femi Babafemi on why pipo dey always use di Hajj pilgrimage do drug trafficking.
“Supply na usually sake of demand and cost. Drug traffickers dey always target wia demand dey and wia dem fit sell at high prices.”
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NDLEA tok-tok pesin say no be only Saudi Arabia di trafficking dey happun but na ‘global issue’.
Im also speak on how dem take dey catch dose wey dey try smuggle drug go Saudi Arabia during Hajj.
Babafemi say since Hajj na annual exercise, figures of dose wey dem arrest go only come out at di end of di current hajj wey still dey go on.
“Our operations dey led by intelligence and at any time we dey get informate on movement of illicit drugs.”
“Na how we dey move in to arrest suspects and seize di drug wey dem wan traffic go abroad.”
Wetin you no suppose do during Hajj
- Bifor you travel go Hajj, check if you get any loads wey fit implicate you
- You gatz also do away wit clothes wey dem sew
- You no go fit use perfume
- You no fit kiss or perform any sexual activities
- You no go fit marry or propose during di period
Wetin Hajj mean for Muslims and why e dey important
Hajj dey compulsory for all Muslims wey dey physically and financially able to make di pilgrimage.
But dat one na on di condition say dia absence no go place hardships on dia family. Pesin fit perform Hajj by proxy, meaning say e fit appoint im relative or friend wey dey go for di pilgrimage to "stand in" for im or her.
Na Prophet Muhammad establish Hajj, but variations don arise afta den, and di itinerary no dey strict like bifor as pipo no dey follow all di instructions wella.
Na about two million pipo dey perform Hajj each year, but coronavirus no gree make 2020 own happun.
Di rite dey serve as a unifying force in Islam as di belief na say e dey bring followers of diverse background togeda for religious celebration.
Anybodi wey don complete hajj fit add di title Alhaji (for a male) or Alhaja (for a female) to im name. Di believe for Muslims be say if dem perform dia hajj wella, e go wipe out previous sins for di sincere believer.
Hajj na one of di most important tins for Islam. E follow for di five pillars of di religion and e dey obligatory say anybodi wey get di means must to perform at least one Hajj pilgrimage for im lifetime.
Wia dis foto come from, NAHCON
Nigerians and drug trafficking to Saudi Arabia
For Saudi Arabia, dem no dey take ear hear mata wey relate to drug trafficking.
Most drug trafficking crime carry di capital punishment of death penalty.
For 2018, Zainab Habib Aliyu chop accuse say she dey involve in drug trafficking for Saudi Arabia.
Zainab wey be student of Yusuf Maitama Sule University bin dey travel go for lesser Hajj, Umrah for December 2018 wen authorities for Saudi arrest am ontop accuse say she carry hard drug.
Tori be say dem plant di drug for her luggage and she bin no know until dem arrest her for Saudi Arabia. She bin later regain her freedom and reunite wit her family afta authorities arrest pipo wey dey behind her set up.
For 2019, Saudi Arabia bin arrest Mallam Ibrahim Abubakar for drug trafficking offence. Im later regain freedom wen di den president bin intervene and dem find am innocent.
For 2020, one criminal court for Mecca, Saudi Arabia, carry one Nigerian Islamic preacher Ibrahim Ibrahim, and put am on death row on charges of drug trafficking. Na afta three years dem release am wen dem find out say dem plant di drugs for im luggage.
For 2019, one Nigerian woman Kudirat Afolabi dey executed (legal sentence of death) for drug trafficking. Same year, dem arrest anoda Nigerian Saheed Sobade, sake of say she dey in possession of 1,183 grams of cocaine powder for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
