Nigerian pilgrims yet to be airlifted to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj have been assured of being provided with top-notch services, including accommodation and feeding, currently being enjoyed by those already in the Kingdom for the holy pilgrimage.
The assurance was given by NAHCON’s Madina Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Mahmud, while fielding questions from Nigerian journalists covering the 2024 Hajj, adding that the Hajj body’s sole aim is to achieve a successful Hajj operation this year.
Mahmud reiterated the fact that NAHCON policy this year is to make each Nigerian pilgrim spend four days in Madina before going to Makkah, where they will perform the Hajj proper.
The Zonal Coordinator informed that both Saudi Arabian authorities and Nigerian pilgrims already in the Kingdom had been cooperating with NAHCON, saying that this had made the Commission’s work simple.
Asked if pilgrims still in Nigeria yet to be flown to Saudi Arabia would enjoy the same excellent services currently being enjoyed by those already in Madina, Mahmud assured that nothing would change as far as the services to be provided were concerned.
In his words: “All our pilgrims will enjoy the same services. What the first batch got, the second batch will get if not more.
“Each pilgrim will spend four days in Madina; that is the policy.
“We have been doing our best. We have also got cooperation from the Saudi authorities and so far we have also got corporation from the pilgrims. That is what makes our work very simple.
“What we want to achieve at the end is a successful hajj operation.”
He informed that as of Thursday (yesterday) evening a total of 13,733 pilgrims had arrived in Madina, adding that out of the number, 7,598 had left for Makkah.
According to Mahmud, “As of this time (Thursday evening), the total number of pilgrims in Madina is 13,733. Out of this total number, 7,598 moved to Makkah. This figure is that of those already in Madina. We don’t count those that are airborne.”
He explained that the Nigerian pilgrims who were flown to Jeddah from Nigeria landed there and were subsequently moved to Madina.
He added that landing in Jeddah by some. Nigerian pilgrim does not mean that NAHCON changed it plan of having almost all the pilgrims come to Madina first before going to Makkah.
“There is no change in plan. Maybe you do not hear him (NAHCON Chairman/CEO) well. What he said was that all would come to Madina first, irrespective of where they landed.
“Some of the pilgrims would come directly to Madina, while some would land in Jeddah and from Jeddah they would come to Madina.
“None of our pilgrims went straight to Makkah, they came to Madina so far before going to Makkah,” the Madina coordinator said.
He informed that unlike what happened last year, most Nigerian pilgrims would be flown into Saudi Arabia through Taif, asserting that, “it is not going to happen this year.”
While saying that so far no Nigerian pilgrims have been reported as involved in things capable of tarnishing Nigeria’s image, Mahmud called on the pilgrims to remain the country’s good ambassadors.
He advised them to concentrate on their main purpose of coming to the Holy Land and be law-abiding and good ambassadors of Nigeria.
“It is what we have been telling them to be law-abiding; to know that they are here for a purpose. So they should concentrate on that.
“They should not be involved in whatever that will tarnish the image of Nigeria because they are representatives of Nigeria. So they should be law-abiding and good ambassadors.”
Meanwhile, as of 1:10 pm Friday, NAHCON has successfully airlifted a total of 16,794 pilgrims from across Nigeria to Saudi Arabia in 10 days in 40 flights so far.
Information obtained from NAHCON Command and Control Centre revealed that all three approved airlines for this year’s operation, Max Air; Air Peace and Saudi-based FlyNas, were fully involved in the outbound airlift.
It was further gathered that so far, all pilgrims from Nasarawa, Kogi and Oyo states’ have been airlifted to the Holy Land.
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