Hajj: Sokoto LG Secretary denies imprisonment report

Secretary of Goronyo local government council in Sokoto state,Alhaji Lawal Yar-Tsakuwa has denied a media report that one of their pilgrims was sentenced to 3-month imprisonment in Makkah for allegedly claiming a lost purse. Speaking to Daily Trust in Makkah, he described the report as falsehood. "I have not granted the interview because the case […]

Secretary of Goronyo local government council in Sokoto state,Alhaji Lawal Yar-Tsakuwa has denied a media report that one of their pilgrims was sentenced to 3-month imprisonment in Makkah for allegedly claiming a lost purse.

Speaking to Daily Trust in Makkah, he described the report as falsehood.

"I have not granted the interview because the case is still in the court and there is likelihood he may be discharged and acquainted by the court," he said

Daily Trust learnt that the court has  reserve its judgement on the matter till next Saturday.

According to findings, the pilgrim, Mamman  Kwakwazo had last Friday found a purse said to belong to an Arab man at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

His motive, Daily Trust learnt was to deliver it to the officials of the Sokoto Pilgrims Welfare Agency as it has been their tradition but got arrested along the line by the Saudi security agents.

However, another report said there was a hot argument between the owner of the purse and the pilgrim and that this led to his arrest.

He was detained at the police outpost near the Mosque before being brought to the state officials for proper identification after which he was arraigned before a Shari"ah court in Makkah the following day.

"You know there is a language barrier between him, the owner and the security agents as such they could not explain his motive to them,” he stated.

Yar-Tsakuwa explained:" You know we have a tradition here that whenever our pilgrim find a lost property they bring it to any of our officials for announcement and this is exactly what he was trying to do before he got arrested.”

He added:"After the arrest, they brought him to us for identification before his subsequent arraignment. The court is yet to pronounce judgement on the case as it reserve it for next Saturday. So I don’t know how this report emanated and why it was credited to me because I didn’t grant such interview because the case is still in the court.”