Kaduna — The Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Board has barred 21 women from performing this year’s pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, Dr Ibrahim Aliyu, the Director of the state Medical Team, has said.

Aliyu said 19 of the women were dropped when they were found to be pregnant while two others were barred from performing the Hajj due to serious medical conditions.

The director disclosed this when he received the wife of the state Governor, Hajia Fati Yero, who was at the state Hajj Camp for medical screening preparatory to her journey for the pilgrimage.

He said those screened out were carrying pregnancies of between three weeks to six months, adding that the screening would continue until the transportation of the pilgrims was concluded.

According to the official, the women came from nine out of the 21 local government areas where the medical screening was conducted.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that only pilgrims from Birnin Gwari and Kaduna North Local Governments were yet to be screened.

NAN also reports that the wife of the governor was cleared after the result of her medical test came out negative.

In his comment, Alhaji Kabir Kasim, the Executive Secretary of the board assured the women affected that they would be given priority during the 2014 Hajj exercise.