FCT minister warns pilgrims against absconding
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has cautioned intending pilgrims against using religious trips as an excuse to abscond once they arrive abroad.
Speaking during a sensitisation programme for prospective pilgrims in Abuja, the minister emphasized that such acts tarnish Nigeria’s image and undermine the integrity of the pilgrimage process.
He warned that the FCT Administration would work closely with relevant religious boards and security agencies to ensure strict monitoring of participants. Any pilgrim caught attempting to abscond, he said, would face serious consequences, including blacklisting and possible prosecution.
Wike urged the pilgrims to focus on the spiritual essence of their journey, reminding them that pilgrimage is an opportunity for renewal and devotion, not a means of illegal migration.
Officials from both the Christian and Muslim pilgrim welfare boards pledged to enforce tighter screening and monitoring to ensure only genuine applicants take part in this year’s exercises.
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