By Hassana Yakubu
Makkah – The Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Abdullahi Mukhtar has cautioned pilgrims against carrying inflammable and other prohibited items in their luggage.
He also advised States Pilgrims Welfare Agencies to caution pilgrims to stick to the specific kilograms approved for them by the board.
The chairman gave the advice after a visit to Shukura Alkhair Air Cargo office on Thursday in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, following complain by some pilgrims that some of their valuables were removed from their luggage.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that some pilgrims from Kano State had complained that their valuables were pilfered at the cargo screening center.
“We are here, we have seen all the process of baggage collection and screening and how it takes place.
“We have seen some of the items that were removed which are highly inflammable and dangerous to be on board any flight.
“I advise that in the event where any bag happens to contain any item that would not be allowed to go to the airport, it should be isolated and the attention of the state officials drawn to it.
“If the pilgrim is around, the pilgrim should be invited to open the bag and remove the prohibited items so that the bag will be screened again.
“However, in the event where the pilgrim is not around, the state official should take full responsibility, and where the state official is not around the commission will take full responsibility.”
Yusuf Abuyayzid, luggage supervisor at the centre, said their job was only to screen pilgrims bags through the use of CCTV camera to ensure that all prohibited items were removed, so as not to endanger the lives of other pilgrims.
Aminu Gagare, representatives of Max Airline, said the essence of the screening was to remove all prohibited items, and denied any form of theft of pilgrims’ valuables.
“We heard people saying that their baggage were opened and some of their valuables stolen, this is Makka and we know the consequences of doing that.”
