Over 170 Nigerians en route to Saudi Arabia were denied entry on Monday, as their visas were reportedly revoked by Saudi authorities upon arrival, according to Nigerian media.
Nigerians heading to Mecca for pilgrimage forced back home
Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque
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Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP
A total of 264 passengers, originating from Lagos and Kano, had obtained visas and passed thorough screenings before departure. However, their visas were allegedly revoked while in transit.
Upon landing, Saudi authorities declined entry, instructing the Nigerian Air Peace airline to return the passengers to Nigeria.
The Saudi authorities have not provided any official statement on the incident.
Passengers expressed surprise at the visa cancellation, asserting they had fulfilled all entry requirements for the Middle East country.
After intervention by the Nigerian embassy, Saudi Arabia allowed entry to 87 passengers, while the remaining 177 were repatriated to Nigeria on Monday night.
Reports indicate that many passengers were on a journey to perform the lesser Hajj (Umrah), a pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca.