2023 Hajj: 31,533 Pilgrims Return, Over 40,000 Still In Saudi Arabia
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.
Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Agboola Abdulraheem Adesina Simon Sodiya Obuh Share-Tsaragi Lithium Elections Mahmud Babatunde Baker Baba Idris Mahe Abdulkadir Baba-Isale March 28 Seni Saraki Otuka Umaru Saro Olusola Saraki 3MTT Park Benin Republic National Broadcasting Commission Femi Ogunsola Moses Afolayan Alaaya Mustapha AbdulGaniyu Babatunde Idiagbon Shuaibu Yaman Bashiru Makama Amuda Musbau Bello Taoheed Abubakar George Innih Anilelerin Shero Monkey Pox Ilorin Like-Minds Kazeem Gbolagade Oniwasi Agbaye Abdulrazaq Adebayo Ayodele Shittu Ramat Oganija S.O. Opowoye Special Adviser On Digital Innovation Ahmed Bolaji Nagode Ibrahim Abdullahi Funmi Salau Ahmed Idris Mohammed Omoniyi Ayinla UNIFEMGA Aishatu Ahmed Gobir Tunde Mukaila Mustapha Hamid Bobboyi SSA Youth Engagement Sulyman Buhari Kwara State Health Insurance Agency Adamu B. Yaqubu Salihu Yahaya Saad Belgore Salami Adekunle Abdulrasaq Alaro Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Yoruba Olomu Isiaq Khadeejah Kwara NIPR Bola Olukoju Inside Kwara Biliaminu Aliu Hussein Oloyede Ishola Abdullahi Towoju AGF Abdulrazaq Bayer AG Al-Hikmah Radio Mohammed Halidu Saka Adeyemo Apaola Lucky Omoluwa Aliyu Alhassan Ambassador Kayode Laro

