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.

NURTW     Awwal Jawondo     Ayinke Saka     Bamidele Adegoke     Mamatu Abdullahi     Femi Oladiji     Abdulrauf Yusuf     Towobola Abdulrahman Toyin     Maigida     Na\'Allah     Abdulmajeed Abdullahi     Akeem Lawal     Yahaya Abdulkareem     Ezekiel Yissa Benjamin     CT Ayeni     Okanlawon Musa     Oko-Erin     CCEPE     Henry Olaosebikan     QuickWin     Bello Bature     Ahmed Shuaib Buranga     Earlyon Technologies     Titus Ashaolu     Kolade Solagberu     Kwarareports.com     Sanusi Abubakar     Kayode Yusuf     Sa\'adatu Modibbo-Kawu     Saka Asiat Ayinke     ER-KANG Mining     Trade Lenda SME Fair     Kayode Alabi     Suleiman Mora Omar     Alimi Abdulrazaq     Yunus Lawal     Millennium Development Goals     Jawondo     Apaokagi     Quarry Royal Valley     Shettima Of Ilorin     Busari Alabi Alausa     Bio Ibrahim     Iyabo Adisa Ibiyeye     Ibrahim Jawondo     Lanwa     Christopher Odetunde     Nurudeen Muhammed     Adamu Ibrahim Sabi     Kunle Suleiman     Alaro     Road Transport Employers Association Of Nigeria     Abatemi-Usman     Obasanjo     Abdulkadir Jimoh     Sardauna     Haliru Yahaya     Tunji Ajanaku     Budo-Egba     Ilorin Talaka Parapo     Nurudeen Mohammed     Tunde Idiagbon Road     Presidential Election     NIPR     Lotus Bank     IYA YUSUF     Abdullahi Saadudeen Alikinla     Umar Saro     Issa Memunat Moyosore     Bayo Ojo     Sheikh Hamzat Yusuf Ariyibi     Olaoye B. Felix     Minimum Wage     Dapo Teni Nig Enterprise     Student Learning Support Helpline     Jamila Bio Ibrahim     Hikmah AbdulKareem    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Shola Odetundun     Razak Atunwa     Samari     Abubakar Baba     Ilorin International Airport     Taofik Abdulkareem Babaita     Abdullahi G. Mohammad     Olaiya Lawal     Omotosho     Hassanat Bello     M.Y. Abdulrahaman     Al-Adaby     Lai Gobir     Ilesha-Baruba     Okin High School     Isapa     Donatus Ejidike     Babatunde Ajeigbe     Abdulrahman Abdullahi Kayode     Dunmade     Ibrahim Oniye     Kubra Kazum     Shuaib Olarongbe     Daud Adeshola     Jaigbade Alao     Rihanat Ajia     Jeunkunu-Malete-Bani     Bayer AG     Saadu Gbogbo Iwe     Kayode Ishola     Amos Sayo     Ahmed \'Lateef     Pategi     Elerinjare     Mohammed Ibrahim     Usman Yunusa     Nurudeen Mohammed     Col. Taiwo     Muhammad Mustapha Suleiman     Turaki     Aliyu Alhassan     Kwara State Branch Of The National Library     Adamu B. Yaqubu     Atunwa     Bisi Oyeleke     Oko Erin     Durosinlohun Kawu     Vasolar Consortium     Talaka Parapo     Aisha Buhari     Awoye     Sango-UITH Road     Women For Change And Development Initiative     Popo-Igbonna     HAMFAT Clinic And Maternity     Rasheed Jimoh     Maryam A. Garuba     Ayedun     Akanbi-Oke     Olaosebikan     Ophthalmological Society Of Nigeria     Oke-Ogun     Abdulmumini AbdulRazaq     Mahmud Babatunde Baker     Abubakar Usman Jos     Rotimi Samuel Olujide     Law School Scholarship     Mahfouz Adedimeji     Towobola Abdulrahman Toyin     Kolade Solagberu     IYA YUSUF     College Of Arabic And Islamic Legal Studies     Bashiru Makama     Oke-opin     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants Ltd     Durbar     COVID