The Kwara State Muslim Pilgrim’s Welfare Board has said the first batch of 530 intending pilgrims from the state will be airlifted on Sunday, July 14, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 2019 hajj exercise.
The Executive Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Mohammed Tunde Jimoh, disclosed this while speaking with our correspondent during the last series of enlightenment programme, organised for the 2,000 intending Pilgrims across the 16 local government areas in the state on Sunday.
He said arrangement had been perfected by the board to transport the first batch of the pilgrims by Max Airline from the llorin International Airport on the said date.
According to the Executive Secretary, the transportation of 2,000 intending Pilgrims, which will be in four batches, will take place in less than 24 hours interval after the departure of the first batch of pilgrims.
Jimoh also said the board had secured 1,520 visas out of over 2,000 travelling with the board and expressed optimism that the remaining visas will be secured before the take-off of the first batch.
“The issues of basic travelling allowance (BTA) for intending pilgrims, yellow cards from Airport Health Authority had reached advanced stage as part of measures to ensure a hitch-free holy pilgrimage”, he said.
The Executive Secretary disclosed that the issue of Biometric data capturing had been suspended for all the intending pilgrims in line with the Saudi Arabia authority’s directive.
He said the board will not hesitate to disqualify any intending pilgrims from undertaking the holy trip as a result of ill health or pregnancy as soon as the result of the just concluded medical screening is released.
“Because of the rigorous nature of the Hajj activities in Mecca and Medina, those we discover are incapacitated to participate will be advised to withdraw”, he said.
Jimoh warned the intending pilgrims against travelling with kolanuts and other prohibited items to the Holy Land, stating that scanning machines are at the airport to fish out those with illicit materials.
Justice Abdullateef Kanaldeen, a Khadi with the Kwara state Sharia Court of Appeal, had earlier presented practical demonstrations of Hajj activities both in Mecca and Medinah for the intending pilgrims.
