According to a news report from Leadership, the first contingent of intending pilgrims from Kwara State is scheduled for airlift from Babatunde Idiagbon International Airport, Ilorin, to Saudi Arabia on May 20, 2024.

Abdulsalam Abdulkadir, the executive secretary of Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, revealed this information during a briefing in Ilorin yesterday.

A total of 3,102 individuals will embark on the hajj pilgrimage from the state this year, as disclosed by Abdulkadir during an enlightenment programme organized for the intending pilgrims.

He mentioned that the pilgrims would undergo vaccination and luggage collection procedures on Tuesday prior to their departure.

Prof. Mashood Mahmud-Jimba, the board's chairman, urged the pilgrims to anticipate and prepare for the challenges they might encounter in Saudi Arabia, considering them integral parts of their worship. He also stressed the importance of maintaining good conduct before, during, and after the pilgrimage to reap full spiritual rewards.

In addition, Justice Abdullateef Kamaldeen, the Grand Khadi of the Kwara State Shariah Court of Appeal, advised the intending pilgrims to approach the hajj with a sense of reverence for Allah.