No less than thirty Nigerian citizens have been reportedly nabbed in Saudi Arabia for displaying campaign posters of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the holy mosque of Kaaba.
The Nigerians who were on the Umrah pilgrimage were arrested by the Saudi police as they lifted up Tinubu’s posters while walking around the Kaaba.
A source revealed that the arrest happened after the month of Ramadan, shortly before the Eid-El-Fitr (Sallah) celebration.
An eyewitness, Murtala Adamu Jega, a Nigerian who also performed Umrah at the time said; “ I’m a witness; I saw them lift Bola Tinubu’s posters at the holy Kaaba.
“This is despicable. Instead of them to devout precious time to pray for peace to return to our country, 30 men made a mockery of our nation by lifting up a politician’s posters in the holy place. Thank God, Saudi authorities were swift to have arrested them right there and then,” he said.
Zainab Abdullahi, another Nigerian who was at the mosque, noted that; “the scenario was a very bad representation of Nigeria’s image before the world, and I think politicians must desist from this bad behaviour”.
Meanwhile, a Saudi Arabian source said those arrested would be convicted to face the law.
A renowned Islamic Cleric in Nigeria, Sheik Nura Khalid, commended the Saudi authorities for the arrest, saying, “Lifting up a politician’s posters in the holy Kaaba has contravened Islamic traditions.”
