One thousand, six hundred (1,600) pilgrims from Kwara State, North Central Nigeria that performed this year's pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia through the state Pilgrim's Welfare Board have so far been airlifted back home.

The Executive Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam told Voice of Nigeria in an interview that six flights had already been operated with the latest arrival via Air Peace with 271 pilgrims on board arriving today (Sunday).

They are among the entire 3,546 that were airlifted from the state through the board for this year's pilgrimage to the holy land.

The Executive Secretary appealed to the remaining pilgrims yet to be airlifted back home to be patient as Kwara will resume another flight on the 19th of this month (July) while hopefully, the final airlifting will be completed before the end of this month.

According to him, the Air Peace Aircraft attached to Kwara State has been reassigned to Ondo and Ekiti States to also airlift pilgrims from the zone.

One Kwara Pilgrim dies in Saudi Arabia

Meanwhile, Abdulsalam said that there had been no case of arrest or questioning from the state pilgrims but confirmed that an elderly man in his seventies from Ilorin, named Busari Alao died in the holy land.