A female pilgrim from Zamfara State has given birth in Madina, Saudi Arabia, during the ongoing Hajj.
This has triggered widespread reactions on social media over how she was allowed to travel in such an advanced stage of pregnancy.
The development was shared by the Independent Hajj Reporters of Nigeria via a photo post on their official Facebook page on Tuesday.
The post has since gone viral, with many Nigerians expressing shock and questioning the oversight of both Nigerian and Saudi Hajj authorities.
LEADERSHIP reports that Hajj regulations discourage pregnant women, particularly those in their third trimester from participating in the exercise due to the strenuous nature of the rituals.
In most cases, such women are deemed unfit to travel once pregnancy is detected during medical screenings.
Reacting to the incident, Facebook user Aminu Abdullahi wrote, “When it comes to Nigeria, anything is possible—the whole pregnant woman. How can she perform Hajj being nine months pregnant? Anyway, congratulations to her.”
Another user, Hassan Ubali, questioned the medical screening process, “How did she beat the protocols, including medical tests, to arrive in Madina with pregnancy?”
Similarly, Usman Shehu added, “The same question came to my mind… how did she scale through such vigorous scrutiny with almost nine months pregnancy? This actually indicates that nothing is currently working in Nigeria! Anyway, congrats!”
While many extended prayers and good wishes to the new mother and her baby, the incident has raised serious concerns about the health and travel protocols for Nigerian pilgrims.
As of the time of filing this report, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) was yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
