Three pilgrims from Kwara State have been arrested by Saudi Arabian authorities for alleged possession of substances suspected to be cocaine.  Hajia Fatima Abolore-Jimoh, the Executive Secretary, Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, confirmed the arrest on Wednesday from Saudi Arabia.


She said the three pilgrims, who were among the first batch of 505 Pilgrims from Kwara, were arrested in Madinnah by Saudi Arabia security operatives. The executive secretary, who did not disclose the identities of the three suspects, said they were still in the custody of Saudi Arabian authorities.

Abolore-Jimoh said the Saudi Arabian law would certainly take its course on the three suspected drug traffickers. She described the arrest as unfortunate and painful in spite of several appeals to them to be good ambassadors of Kwara and Nigeria.

1,978 pilgrims from the state are performing the 2016 pilgrimage exercise.