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New Hajj season: Saudi Arabia prepares for record numbers of pilgrims
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Saudi Arabia is ramping up preparations to receive over 2 million Muslim pilgrims expected to arrive later this month for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Government and private sector agencies are collaborating to implement operational plans to ensure that the faithful will perform Hajj rites with ease and comfort in and around the holy city of Mecca
Competent agencies anticipate record numbers of pilgrims this year following the participation of around 30 million Muslims from inside and outside the kingdom in Umrah, the minor pilgrimage, at the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site, in Mecca during the past Ramadan, which ended on April 9, 2024.
As many as 33 million Muslims offered prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second holiest place, in Medina during Ramadan. The same month also saw the arrival of 9 million passengers at Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport in Medina. Many pilgrims usually visit Medina before or after Hajj.
This year, 3,500 staffers at the Saudi Ministry of Hajj are tasked with caring for pilgrims who arrive in and depart from Medina, where a large number of Islamic historic sites have been renovated and provided with tour guides to receive visitors.
Some 1.8 million Muslims from around the world performed Hajj last year, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels in terms of numbers. Saudi Arabia has embarked on early preparations for this year’s Hajj scheduled next month under a new strategy for overseas pilgrims.
Accordingly, no specific places would be allotted anymore for countries. Instead, places for different countries are allocated depending on the time of finalising contracts. The new mechanism aims at facilitating preparations for Hajj, an obligatory Islamic duty that must be carried out at least once in a lifetime by Muslims who can afford it physically and financially.
Saudi Arabia has cautioned Muslims planning to perform Hajj about fake campaigns and websites and defined associated legal channels.
The Ministry of Hajj said reliance on official channels guarantees access to pilgrimage and safeguards pilgrims’ rights during the journey. The ministry stressed that all pilgrims must obtain a Hajj permit.
The announcement followed a recent statement by the Council of Senior Scholars, Saudi Arabia’s highest Islamic body, who pointed out that performing Hajj without an official permit is deemed sinful.
News
Teenage girl allegedly stabbed parents to de@th, stabbed family dog, sent crime scene photos to friends
A 15-year-old girl from Groningen in the Netherlands was arrested after her parents, Johan and Mathilda, both 53, were found f@tally stabbed last Thursday, June 18, Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad reported.
The family’s pet golden retriever also suffered stab wounds in the rampage, the Sun reported.
The dog’s condition is unclear.
The girl took images of her slain parents and then shared the disturbing photos with her friends on WhatsApp after the bloody attack, the Telegraaf reported.
“You could see both of her parents lying on the ground with their eyes open. Her father was lying on the floor, and her mother was on the bed. There was blood visible and a knife,” one student told the outlet in Dutch.
Local police declined to comment further on the images, but encouraged people to never distribute such images online and report them to the police, the reports said.
The girl reportedly struggled with her identity and often pretended to be a dog, crawling around and barking on all fours with other friends in school corridors.
“She wore a tail, dog ears, and gloves,” another classmate told the outlet. “And sometimes she would make barking sounds.”
Johan and Mathilda’s relatives said in a statement obtained by Algemeen Dagblad that they “can hardly comprehend” the murd£rs.
‘We hope that everyone understands that we are deeply affected by the tragic events surrounding the passing of Johan and Mathilda from Meerstad,” family and friends said in a statement through an aid organization.
“But the support and sympathy we have received from many do us good and are heartwarming.”
An investigation into the slayings remains ongoing.
News
OGTV broadcaster: Police recover stolen Lexus RX300 as CP vows “no stone unturned” in murder probe
Ogun State Police Command says it has recovered the Lexus RX300 stolen from the home of slain ex-OGTV broadcaster Mrs Kitan Oyesiku and her security guard in Iyana Agodo Village, Owode-Egba.
The recovery happened during night operations, the command confirmed Monday.
—CP walks the scene himself—
Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni visited the crime scene for an on-the-spot assessment. He inspected the premises and got briefings from detectives handling the case.
“CP Ojajuni reiterated the Command’s resolve to leave no stone unturned in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensuring that those responsible are identified, apprehended, and brought to justice,” Police PPRO Oluseyi Babaseyi said in a statement.
The visit, according to police, was to evaluate progress in the investigation into the double murder that has rattled the Owode-Egba community.
—What happened that night—
PUNCH Online had reported that a resident raised the alarm over suspicious movements around Oyesiku’s residence. When operatives arrived, they found signs of forced entry.
Inside, the security guard was found dead at his post. Oyesiku’s body was later discovered inside the apartment. Her Lexus RX300 was missing.
Police now say the vehicle has been secured and will serve as key evidence. “It is worthy of note that the vehicle earlier reported missing from the residence, a Lexus RX300, has been recovered by police operatives during the night hours,” Babaseyi confirmed.
—“Intensive investigation ongoing”–
Ojajuni commiserated with Oyesiku’s family and assured Ogun residents that “all available resources are being deployed to track down the perpetrators.”
For now, no arrests have been announced. But with the car recovered and the CP personally monitoring the case, police say they’re closing in.
Oyesiku, a retired broadcaster with Ogun State Television, was remembered by colleagues as a calm voice on air. Her death, alongside her guard’s, has renewed calls for better security for elderly residents living alone in semi-urban areas. [The Punch report rewritten]
News
Tinubu set to Flag-Off Construction of Service Carriageways of the Southern Parkway, from Arterial Road S20 (Oladipo Diya way) to Ring Road II, today
President Tinubu Will Flag-Off Construction of Service Carriageways of the Southern Parkway, from Arterial Road S20 (Oladipo Diya way) to Ring Road II and Collector Road CO1 from Nile University area to Ring Road III (Extension of Body of Benchers road) Today
#FCTRenewedHope
#FCTProjectsCommissioning
Teenage girl allegedly stabbed parents to de@th, stabbed family dog, sent crime scene photos to friends
SEE Dollar to Naira exchange rate today, June 23, 2026
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