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.

Abdulrahman Iliasu     NIPR     Isiaka Yusuf     Sidikat Alaya     Bayer AG     Galadima     Nigeria Computer Society     Mary Kemi Adeosun     Ilorin Curfew     Abdulkadir Bolakale Sakariyah     Sayomi     Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq     Kwara Consultative Forum     Ebola     Apata Ajele Secondary School     Government High School Adeta     Olaiya Victor Mobolaji     Demola Banu     Toyin Falola     Agor Market     Benin Republic     AbdulKareem Yusuf Danhawa     Timothy Olatunde Fadipe     Ojuekun Sarumi     Kupchi Hosea Maxwell     Mahmud Ayinla Giwa     Adeniyi Ojo     Abubakar Ndakene     Saidu Isa     Oko-Olowo     Gabriel Fashanu     Abdulrazaq Sanni     NIRSAL     Shettima     Iyeru Grammar School     Ita-Ore     Sa\'adatu Modibbo-Kawu     Christian Association Of Nigeria     Maigidasanma     Popo-Igbonna     Bashir Adigun     Ekiti     Khairat Gwadabe     Nupe     IEDPU     Atiku     IDPU     Hausa     Ramadhan     Isaac Gbenle     Jeunkunu-Malete-Bani     Chief Imam Of Lafiagi     Jumoke F. Ajao     Akume     Afonja     Jimoh Bashir     Lawyers Unite Against Corruption     Amusement Park     Kayode Ishola     Alumni Association Of The Federal Polytechnic Offa     PAACO-PCL Consortium     Maimunat Oloriegbe     Village Alive Development Association     GAMA     Ajayi Okasanmi     Yetunde Balogun     Bola Sagaya     Al-Ilory     Gwanara     Olanrewju Okanlawon Musa     Academic Staff Union Of Universities     Samari     Ibrahim Issa Jetti     New Model Police Station     Kwara Liberation Group     Tunji Folami     Saka Aleshinloye    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Bilikisu Gambari     Omupo     Issa Manzuma     Chief Imam Of Lafiagi     Adamu Attah     Joseph Alex Offorjama     Shaykh Luqman Jimoh     Volunteers Of Ilorin Community And The Emirate     Bola Shagaya     Tunji Moronfoye     Ahmed Saidu Rufai     Ahmed Dankaya     Oyedun Juliana Funke     Sola Saraki Educational Foundation     Plat Technologies     Durbar Festival     Olupako Of Share     Ahmad Belgore     Kwara Liberation Group     KWATMA     Prince Mahe Abdulkadir     Ahmed Bayero     Shonga Farm Project     AbdulGaniyu Kareem     Ajia-Bako     Iyiola Oyedepo     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     CACOVID     Oloruntoyosi Thomas     Isiaka Saka Opobiyi     Wakilin Mata Lafiagi     Royal FM     Akeem Olatunji     Omoniyi Ayinla     Orisa Bridge     Saad Omo\'ya     Abdulmumini Sanni Jawondo     Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq     Ayodele Kuburat Olaosebikan     Bareke     Henry Makinwa     Tanke Road     Kamoru Kadiri     NTA Ilorin     Goodluck Jonathan     Oba Abu     Ilesha-Baruba     Abdulrahman Iliasu     Nigeria Association Of Women Journalists     Theophilus Oyebiyi     Chartered Institute Of Personnel Management Of Nigeria     Yusuf Badmus     Babaloja-General     Jide Ashonibare     The Herald     Ilorin Innovation Hub     Government House     Kumbi Titilope     Kola Olota     Seun Bolaji     Lucky Omoluwa     Aliyu Umar     Maigidasanma     Hakeem Idris     Bello Abubakar     Elelu     Lola Olabayo     Allocation     Falokun-Oja     Yakubu Mohammed Abdullahi     Transition Implementation Committee     Shuaib Jawondo     Alabi Olayemi Abdulrazak     Ayinke Saka     Ethical College     Mutawali Of Ilorin     Is\'haq Modibbo Kawu