Following the recent developments on the non-admittance and eventual deportation of some Nigerian female pilgrims to the Holy land in Mecca and Medina, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga A. Ashiru, today 28th September 2012, in New York met with Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Acting Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly.?
The minister registered? Nigeria’s objection? to the treatment meted out to many Nigerian female pilgrims, who after fulfilling the visa requirements were denied entry to Saudi Arabia in order to perform Hajj, one of the five fundamental pillars of Islam.? In referring to this worrisome development, the Foreign Minister expressed Nigeria’s particular concern at the denial of consular access to the detained female pilgrims by both the Nigerian Ambassador and Consul-General in Saudi Arabia, which is in contravention of the Vienna Convention.??
The Saudi Acting Foreign Minister, while expressing regrets at the development,? informed that the denial of entry to unaccompanied female pilgrims to perform the Hajj was not a Saudi Arabian regulation but an Islamic? requirement that all women must be accompanied by Muharrams.?
Following the recent developments on the non-admittance and eventual deportation of some Nigerian female pilgrims to the Holy land in Mecca and Medina, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga A. Ashiru, yesterday in New York met with Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Acting Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the side-lines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly.?
The Minister of Foreign Affairs used the occasion of the meeting to register Nigeria’s strong objection to the treatment meted out to many Nigerian female pilgrims, who after fulfilling the visa requirements were denied entry to Saudi Arabia in order to perform Hajj, one of the five fundamental pillars of Islam.?
The Saudi Acting Foreign Minister, while expressing regrets at the development,? informed that the denial of entry to unaccompanied female pilgrims to perform the Hajj was not a Saudi Arabian regulation but an Islamic? requirement that all women must be accompanied by Muharrams.? He however informed that efforts are being made to find an immediate solution to the problem.?