Borno launches investigation into childbirth during hajj

The Borno State Committee on the 2024 Hajj Operations has constituted a five-member investigative panel to examine the circumstances surrounding the birth of a baby boy by a 30-year-old Nigerian pilgrim in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, the state’s amirul hajj, disclosed this at a media briefing held at the Borno State Liaison Office in Makkah.

The probe followed an official report from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) about a female pilgrim from Borno State who recently gave birth in a Makkah hospital.

Pregnant women are banned from participating in hajj because the physical demands and stress of the pilgrimage can pose significant risks for them.

Despite the ban, Nigeria in 2023 recorded 75 pregnant women, who travelled to Saudi Arabia for hajj and ended up with medical complications.

NAHCON’s Chairman, Jalal Arabi, in an earlier interview, said Saudi authorities had threatened to fine Nigeria if the ban on pregnant women was breached.

The Borno pilgrim’s baby, named Mohammed, was the first to be born during this hajj season. He was delivered at the Makkah Maternity and Children’s Hospital after his mother arrived at the emergency room after experiencing labour pains at 31 weeks of pregnancy.

Senator Lawan called the incident avoidable and unfortunate, stating that they had ensured thorough screening before any pilgrim’s departure to the Holy Land.

He further said the committee, adhering to the principle of fair hearing, would also listen to the female pilgrim and others involved.

The committee’s terms of reference include investigating the circumstances of the pilgrim’s medical examination and screening, verifying the authenticity of the medical examination report and identifying any potential conspiracy in aiding or abetting the act.