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.

AbdulRazaq Jiddah     Sarakite     Ajibike Katibi     Muhammed Aliyu     Jimoh Bashir     Aliyu Adebayo     Taofeek Sanusi     Adisa Logun     Ishola Balogun Fulani     Soffiyyallah Kamaldeen     GANZY     National Union Of Road Transport Workers     Issa Memunat Moyosore     Offorjama     Gbenga Olawepo     Farouk Salim     Olateju Lukman     Democracy Day     Kayode Ishola     Afonja Descendants Union     Kwara State Polytechnic     Haliru Dantoro     Demola Banu     Oloriegbe     Ella Supreme Tissue Paper     David Oyepinola Adedumoye     Goodluck Jonathan     Garuba Alikinla Shittu     Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital     ANCOPPS     Oloje     Voices Of Tomorrow     Shehu Raheem Adaramaja     Amusa Bello     Ndama Al-hassan     AbdulRaheem Ahmad Shayi     Abdulkadir Orire     Abubakar Aliagan     Oke-Kura     Bayer Nigeria Limited     Boko Haram     Kwara State Fire Service     Ayegbeni     UTME     Yashikira     Abdulganiy Abimbola Abdussalam     Ilorin South Constituency     Kwara State Governor     Okiki     Okin Biscuit     Kwara State Infrastructure Development Fund     Shehu Jimoh     Ileloke     Ayinke Saka     Odogun Olushola Gabriel     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Oke-Ode     Sheikh Ridhwanullah El-ilory     JSSCE     SWAN     High Court     Sunday Popo-Ola     College Of Arabic And Islamic Legal Studies     Alagbado     Dele Momodu     Shuaib Olarongbe     Bayo Mohammed Onimode     Ita-Nmo Market     Raimi Iyanda     KWASSIP     Lawal Jimoh     Paul Odama     Mutawalle     Aliyu Umar     Simeon Sule Ajibola     Tunji Oyawoye     Okedare    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Nagode     Suwa-Arabs     Inside Kwara     Shuaib Abdulkadir     Waziri Yakubu Gobir     Binta Sulyman     Iyeru Grammar School     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     General Hospital, Ilorin     Afin Descendants Union Of Odo-Owa     Garuba Alikinla Shittu     Hamidu Olowo     Ilorin Durbar     Alliance For Democracy     Abdulquawiy Olododo     Olatunde Michaels     Oyawoye     Woro     March 18     NTA Ilorin     Chief Imam Of Omu-Aran     Muslim Cementary     Ayo Salami     Gwanara     Balogin Alanamu     Abdulwaheed Musa     Alaaya     The Herald     Raji AbdulRasaq     Jare Olatundun     Kwara Liberation Group     Mohammed Yahaya Barki     Olusola Saraki     Moses Rahman Popoola     Sarakite     Issa Baba     Yusuf Abdulwahab     Moshood Kashimawo Abiola     Usman Yunusa     Kolo     COVID-19 Palliatives     Abdullahi AbdulMajeed     Bayo Ojo     Saidu Kawu     IHS Towers     Mashood Abdulrafiu Agboola     Elerin Of Erin-Ile     Funmilayo Zubair     Igosun     GAMA     Kayode Laro     Kayode Ibrahim     Tunde Kazeem     Olayinka Olaogun     Tunji Moronfoye     Earlyon Technologies     Shero     Moses Adekanye     Centre For Community Empowerment And Poverty Eradication     Abdulkadir Remi Hawawu     Bayer AG     Elesie Of Esie     TETFUND     Sheikh Alimi     Wasiu Onidugbe     Gobirawa     Emir Of Kano     Yinka Aluko     Yusuf Abubakar     Abdulhakeem Amao     Medinat Folorunsho Salman     Victor Gbenga Yusuf     Yakubu Dogara     Ilorin Like-Minds     Apaokagi     Alfa Modibo Belgore     TESCOM 2025