Alhaji Adeleke AbdulKareem, the secretary of Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board, confirmed the arrest in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan on Monday, October 19. He revealed that one of the women escaped, while the other was still in detention.
According to the secretary, the drug found with the pilgrims was Tramador, a contraband in Saudi Arabia. He also said that two other pilgrims from Oyo state died due to ill health before Arafat Day.
Abdulkareem called on pilgrims to follow the rules and regulation of the Saudi authorities to avoid being arrested or tarnishing the country’s image.
Over time, Nigerian pilgrims have gotten themselves involved in criminal activities including prostitution, drug smuggling and money laundering.