JUST IN: 39,506 Nigerian pilgrims now in Saudi Arabia

The number of Nigerian pilgrims who have been airlifted to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reached 39,506.

The Command and Control Centre of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) said in a statement that Flynas XY5497 departed Kebbi to Madinah today at 18:19hours with 431 Kebbi Pilgrims.

The pilgrims, who were in the 81st flight to Saudi Arabia, were made up of 248 males and 183 females.

NAHCON’s Head of Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, had reassured intending pilgrims and the general public that the airlift of Nigerian pilgrims would be concluded before closure of Saudi Arabian airspace, stressing that no pilgrim will be left behind.

The pilgrims who had so far been airlifted were from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Plateau, Jigawa, Borno, Lagos, Bauchi, Taraba, Yobe, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Gombe, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Sokoto, Adamawa, Niger, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo and Zamfara States.

Already, Nigerian pilgrims have been moving to Makkah in preparation for Hajj rituals which reach its peak on the Day of Arafah that holds on the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah, equivalent to Saturday, August 10, 2019.

The pilgrims will take part in the rituals that would start on Friday, August 9, 2019 which is equivalent to the 8th day of the twelfth month of Islamic calendar (Dhul-Hijjah).

The Representative of NAHCON in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr Aliyu Tanko, on Friday, said about 150 buildings (hotels) of different categories and in varied locations had been secured by the States to house the pilgrims in Makkah.

Dr Tanko, who advised the pilgrims to prepare their minds for the coming hectic days, also urged them to consider what they would eat in order to face the challenges as anyone who missed Arafah had not performed Hajj (pilgrimage).

He also counselled the pilgrims to acquire the necessary knowledge about pilgrimage, adding that scholars had been brought to guide them in order to achieve acceptable Hajj.