Barring last minute changes, Nigeria will welcome Kogi State pilgrims as the first batch of returnees from the 2018 Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia.
This was disclosed by Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad, on an inspection tour of pilgrims’ accommodation and welfare facilities in Mina, the tent city, on the outskirts of Mina.
He promised that when Saudi aviation authorities approves airlift of pilgrims back to their homelands by the end of August, the Kogi contingent will be the first to be airlifted back home. This is because they were the first group to arrive in Madinah from Nigeria.
The first batch of 445 pilgrims from Kogi State arrived in Madinah aboard the inaugural flight for this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
The pilgrims were transported by Max Air Limited to Prince Muhammad Abdullaziz International Airport, Madinah via the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.
The contingent which was headed by the Chairman of the commission, Sheikh Lukman Abdullahi, also conveyed some members of the National Media Team established by NAHCON.
The pilgrims from Kogi and other parts of the country are billed to return according to the sequence of their flights and arrival in Madinah.
Muhammad expressed his satisfaction with the Kogi State contingent, commending them for cooperating with NAHCON team and being compliant with Hajj rules and regulations.
Leading Nigeria’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Isa Dodo, and a team comprising NAHCON and state officials round the tents housing Ebonyi, Zamfara, Kano, Kogi and Kwara pilgrims, among others, he commended the services of the various operations teams and welfare committees, adding that he was satisfied with the quality of care given to the pilgrims.
In response to pilgrims’ complaints about inadequate toilet facilities, Muhammad said NAHCON will engage relevant Saudi authorities to address the problem, which caused long queues of pilgrims on several occasions.
The NAHCON however, advised pilgrims to abide by the 38-kilogramme aviation luggage size requirement, stressing that, defaulters will incur extra charges for carrying overweight items.
Credit: The Nation
