The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has expressed his sadness over the death of Nigerian pilgrims during the 2019 Hajj exercise.
Gbajabiamila, who is a guest of the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, prayed Almighty Allah to grant them mercy in their graves and give their families the fortitude to bear the losses.
The Speaker, in an interview with journalists, implored the Nigerian contingents to the 2019 pilgrimage to pray for the peace and unity of Nigeria.
He thanked the Kingdom for giving concession which enabled late entrants into the Holy Land and the accommodation that afforded the Nigerian population opportunity within the precinct of Mina.
Gbajabiamila, who lauded the pilgrims for their orderly conduct so far, said Nigeria could only achieve meaningful progress with their prayers for peace and unity of the country.
“All countries of the world have issues they are confronted with, but with patriotic zeal of their people in unity and hard work, they achieved all their national goals and objectives.
“I’m therefore praying Allah to answer the prayers of our pilgrims for peace, economic prosperity and overcoming security and other challenges currently bedevilling us.
“No country can survive without prayers as through it Allah helps resolve problems. So, I’m urging people of all faiths to obey teachings of the holy books as they all contain morals on all facets of life,” said the Speaker.
The Speaker, who urged the pilgrims to maintain orderliness and cooperate with their respective officials, reminded them that they needed to play role to achieve a successful Hajj and safe return to Nigeria.