2023 Hajj: 31,533 Pilgrims Return, Over 40,000 Still In Saudi Arabia

Date: 2023-07-18

National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has so far transported 31, 533 Nigerian pilgrims back home out of 75, 000 that performed 2023 hajj in Saudi Arabia through the commission and states pilgrims' welfare boards.

A total of 95, 000 Nigerians performed this year's Hajj exercise in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with 20, 000 of them travelling for the spiritual pilgrimage using private tour operators.

Eight flights conveying 3,172 pilgrims from Sokoto, Niger, Katsina, Ondo, Borno, Kaduna and officials landed in Lagos, Abuja, Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, Ilorin and Maiduguri respectively yesterday.

According to the flight update from the Command and Control Centre of NAHCON, the flights bring the number of flights that have departed the Holy Land to Nigeria since the commencement of home-bound journey to 81 flights.

This means, no fewer 40, 000 Nigerians out of the 95, 000 that performed the 2023 Hajj rites are still in Saudi Arabia,18 days after the conclusion of the spiritual pilgrimage.

The slow pace of home-bound journey, according to NAHCON in a statement earlier released by its deputy director of information and publication, Alhaji Mousa Ubandanwak, was due to non-availability of slots to the Nigerian licenced carriers in the first week of the second phase of the airlift operation.

Nigerian licenced carriers started in-bound flight to Nigeria optimally July 12 after a high level meeting between NAHCON and the Saudi's General Authority on Civil Aviation (GACA) on the slow pace of the airlift operation.

The outcome of the meeting paved way for five Nigerian licenced airlines -Max Airline, Air Peace, Aero Contractor and Azman, as well as Arik Air which was dedicated to the airlift of private tour operators.

The commission has been disturbed about the situation which it had been battling with since the commencement of the second phase of the airlift operation.

“The GACA had refused to allot slots to the Nigerian airlines to speed up the return of pilgrims back home.

“Several representations and meetings were held. The intervention of the Nigerian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ambassador Dauda Yahaya Lawal achieved little success until the issue was escalated to the highest level of government before the situation was finally resolved,” the commission said in a statement.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Hamid Bobboyi     Abdulkadir Remi Hawawu     A.O. Belgore     Hassan Taiye Salam     Oke-opin     Ile Arugbo     Kwara Primary Health Care Development Agency     Ilesha-Baruba     Gabriel Fashanu     Omoniyi M. Ayinla     Kisira     Rotimi Atere     Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq     Kwara Metro Park     Ejidongari     Grillo     Otunba Taiwo Joseph     Isiaka Rafiu Mope     Taofeek Ibraheem     Temitope Ogunbanke     Folaranmi Aro     Ita-Nmo Market     Local Government     Facebook     Bashirat Bola Bello     Okin Biscuit     Samari     Yusuf Abdulwahab     Patience Jonathan     Raheem Adaramaja     Ambassador Kayode Laro     Barakat Community Secondary School     Kale Belgore     Shehu Jimoh     National Union Of Road Transport Workers     Senior Special Assistant On Student Affairs     Assayomo     Okin Group     Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Kwara North     Usman Alkali Baba     Abubakar B.M     Kwara State Fire Service     Wasiu Onidugbe     Gbugbu International Market     IDPU     Law School Scholarship     Olabimpe Olani     Ben Duntoye     Idofin     Saba Jibril     National Information Technology Development Agency     Abdulmutalib Shittu     Bio Ibrahim     Halimah Perogi     Simon Sayomi     Aisha Ahman-Pategi     Lithium Deposit     Ibrahim Oloriegbe     Mope Dasuki Belgore     Lateef Fagbemi     Yakub Ali-Agan     Olam Food Ingredients     Olatunde Olukoya     Elesie Of Esie     Kayode Oyin-Zubair     Kwara State Fish Farmers Association     Yeketi     GGDSS Pakata     Abdulazeez Uthman     Saidu Isa     Onilorin     PAACO-PCL Consortium     Abegunde Goke     Elerin Of Erin-Ile     Bola Sagaya     Paul Odama    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Ubandoma Of Ilorin     Kwara 2019     Azeez Salawu     Monthly Sanitation Exercise     Yahaya A Paniyaro     Isaac Aderemi Kolawole     Isapa     Memunat Monsuma     Gani Saadu     Danhawa     Kwara State Fish Farmers Association     College Of Education     Fatai Adeniyi Garba     Ayedun     Lai Gobir     Adeola Abraham     Arinola Lawal     Salihu Ajibola Ajia     Ibrahim Sulu Gambari     Okala Baba     Salman Jawondo     Ilorin Emirate Stakeholders Forum     Funmilayo Zubair     AbdulRazaq Abubakar Jiddah     Bashir Adigun     Ilorin Anchor Men And Women     Prince Bola Ajibola     Ayekale     Baba Issa     CELF     Abdulmumini AbdulRazaq     2017 Budget     Tinubu     Ghali Alaaya     Lanre Badmas     Nigeria Customs Service     Playing Host     Kwara State Internal Revenue Service     Abdulrazaq Sanni     Abikan     Mamman Saba Jibril     Micheal Imodu-Ganmo Road     Aso-ofi     Kazeem Adekanye     Emir Of Ilorin     Donatus Ejidike     Lateef Ademola Olatunji     CACOVID Palliatives     Oja-Oba     Umar Sanda Yusuf     Kwara State Sports Commission     Justina Oha     Aliyu Olatunji Ajanaku     Yaman     Ridwan Agboola     Offa Descendants Union     Yusuf Aiyedun     Suleiman Abubakar     Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq     Rafiu Olasile     Ethical College     Bank Of Industry     Olatinwo     Ibrahim Abiodun     Abdulsalam Firdaous Amosa     Old Oyo     Bola Magaji     Kwara State Governor     Kunle Akogun     Toyin Sanusi     Prince Sunday Fagbemi     Bolaji Abdullahi     Monkey Pox     Tunde Kazeem     Elections     Ishola Abdullahi     Idowu Laro