The Amir ul Hajj of Lagos State, Dr Abdul Hakeem Abdul Lateef, has said a total of 2,269 pilgrims transported in seven batches have since completed the performance of Umrah in the city of Makkah.
Dr Abdul Lateef, who said on Friday during a lecture at the Lagos State House in the city, stated that the pilgrims had also completed their pre visit to Jabal Nuru, Jabal Thor, Jabal Arafat, Muna and Musdalifah.
“This is to prepare the mind of the pilgrims for the task ahead of them in the course of performing the proper Hajj.”
“This will also awake the determination of the pilgrims to be ready to withstand the challenges that are likely to come with the exercise,” he said in a statement issued today by Dosunmu Jamiu Public Affairs Unit, Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.
The Amir Hajj, who encouraged the pilgrims to attend Friday’s Juma’at service, added that the State had provided buses to convey them to and fro Masjid Li Haram.
Dr Abdul Lateef, who also admonished them to use the opportunity to pray for Nigeria and Lagos state in particular for peace and development, urged the pilgrims to stay away from any act capable of destroying their hajj.
Meanwhile, 21,451 Nigerian pilgrims have been airlifted to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj in a total of 44 flights.
The pilgrims are from 18 States, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, Bauchi, Yobe, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Gombe, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Sokoto, Adamawa and Zamfara.