Nigerian pilgrims performing the 2025 hajj without a permit risk a fine of 100,000 riyals, deportation, and a 10-year ban from the kingdom, according to Ibrahim Umar, charge de affaires at the Nigerian embassy in Riyadh.
Gatekeepers News reports that Umar made the warning during a pre-Arafat stakeholders’ meeting in Makkah.
“We have very strong advice for our pilgrims. We need to be law-abiding and follow the rules and regulations of our hosts for the duration of our pilgrimage here,” Umar said. “The Saudi authorities have doubled the 2024 penalty, and we urge our people to obey the kingdom’s laws to avoid jeopardising their spiritual journey.”
Umar noted that the fine for illegally performing hajj without a permit has been increased from 50,000 riyals in 2024 to 100,000 riyals this year, with additional penalties including deportation and a 10-year ban. “So please, I urge you to tell our people all this,” he added.
The envoy also called on pilgrims to use the period to intercede for Nigeria and global peace.
