Nigeria on Friday announced the suspension of flights to Saudi Arabia for the 2012 Hajj.
This followed the arrest, detention and deportation of some Nigerian women who had gone on the holy pilgrimage without their male companions. contrary to the rule.
According to a report by Reuters, the spokesman of the National Hajj Commission, Uba Mana, told the world news agency that there was no sense in airlifting people who would be returned home.
Mana was quoted by Reuters as having said on telephone: “The airlift operations have been temporarily stopped….
“It does not make sense to airlift people to be detained on landing.
“We will resume when all outstanding issues are resolved.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, is expected to be in Saudi Arabia by now to resolve the issue.
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