The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has warned that Nigerian pilgrims may risk Hajj exclusion if they perform annual holy pilgrimage without possessing Nusuk card.
NAHCON’s Coordinator in Mecca, Aliyu Tanko, gave the warning at a press briefing on Thursday, saying that such offense will also attract a jail term of 10 years, pay a fine of 10,000 saudi riyal and be banned from future hajj for a period of 10 years according to the Saudi authorities.
Tanko stressed that pilgrims must prioritise obtaining the card to avoid any disruptions or disqualification from participating in the sacred exercise.
He urged pilgrims to ensure they possess the mandatory card before the hajj rituals commence next Thursday as no pilgrim will be allowed in Minna without the card.
“The Saudi authorities are serious on this issue of Nusuk card. You must have it on arrival in Mecca otherwise you will not be allowed to perform the hajj and will face the wrath of the law in Saudi which include serving jail term and fine.
“So I urge all pilgrims to make sure they protect their Nusuk cards and those who did not have should make sure they get theirs before the hajj days begins.” Tanko stated.
According to the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, the card aims to raise the efficiency of operational procedures for the upcoming hajj season to make the pilgrimage much easier and simplified as well as to bring down instances of performing hajj in an illegal way.
“It is designed to be easy to read automatically, the card facilitates hajj workers to identify and verify the identity of each pilgrim, and also helps prevent unauthorised individuals from entering the holy sites, and thus ensuring the safety and security of all pilgrims." He said.
The Nusuk pilgrims card was introduced by Saudi authorities in April 2024.
Over 47,000 pilgrims have been airlifted to Saudi Arabia by NAHCON out of about 65,000 expected to perform this year’s Hajj from Nigeria.
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