Med-view Airline on Saturday flagged off the airlift of Pilgrims from Borno state with no fewer than 540 pilgrims making the first batch.
The pilgrims were airlifted from Maiduguri International Airport direct to Medina, Saudi Arabia.
It is the first time in two years that pilgrims from the state were being airlifted from Maiduguri airport as a result of insurgency, Daily Trust reports.
An elated Governor Kashim Shettima spent about 30 minutes inside the Med-View Airline B777-200ER to pray with the pilgrims before departing.
He said the airlift of the pilgrims from Borno had shamed critics who thought that is not achievable in view of the insurgency.
He reportedly urged them to be good ambassadors of the state.
Earlier, the Amirul Hajj, Alhaji Adamu Dibal and former deputy Governor commended Med-view airline for its excellent services by positioning the right equipment and on schedule too.
Managing Director of Med-view, Alhaji Muneer Bankole told our correspondent that the airlift would be completed on Monday.
The airline moved to Maiduguri after airlifting pilgrims from South-west states including Lagos, Osun, Ogun and Oyo. Also, pilgrims from Edo and Nigeria Air force were airlifted by the Airline.
According to the MD, those from the southeast would be conveyed to the holy land from 12th and 13th of the month.
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