By Bashir Bello
Makkah (Saudi Arabia) — In the face of Nigeria’s current security challenges in the North-East dreaded Boko Haram region, and Niger-Delta avengers in South-South region, pilgrims from the Nigerian Armed Forces in the Holy land of Saudi Arabia have gone spiritual to combat the challenges.
Leader of the team, Colonel Shehu Garba Mustapha on Sunday, while speaking with newsmen in Makkah said, they were praying for the country to overcome its security challenges.
Col. Mustapha called on other pilgrims to do same by praying for their leaders at local, state and national levels.
He described the stone throw timing arrangements by the Saudi Arabia authority to control overcrowding as a welcome development.
He said the new arrangement will cushion the difficulties faced by the pilgrims while throwing the stone at Satan.
According to him, “The new arrangement is a welcome development because it doesn’t violate sharia. It is in accordance with islamic injunction that whenever there is difficulties, you are allow to do things that you are not allowed to do under normal circumstance.
“Prophet was reported to have said that al-hajj arafat and this changes come after arafat. So, it doesn’t affect hajj rite,” he said.
On the state of the nation, he said “We don’t have any other country to call our own other than Nigeria. The present government need our prayers to succeed and we must pray for Mr President and his team. I use this opportunity to call on all Nigerian pilgrims to pray for our country, Mr president and the leaders and those who loss their life may Allah forgive them.
“Both the security and other challenges that we facing in our nation, we should make request to Allah to remove and uproot them from Nigeria. Anytime we to go pray, we should pray for Nigeria and Mr President,” Col. Mustapha stated.
