2019 Hajj: Nigerian pilgrims heading to Madinah

Less than 100 pilgrims from Nigeria who are yet to visit the city of Holy Prophet Muhammad (SWT) are preparing to move to Madinah. The Madinah Coordinator and the acting Secretary to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Ahmad Maigari, who stated this in an interview with journalists, said preparation had commenced to […]

Less than 100 pilgrims from Nigeria who are yet to visit the city of Holy Prophet Muhammad (SWT) are preparing to move to Madinah.

The Madinah Coordinator and the acting Secretary to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Ahmad Maigari, who stated this in an interview with journalists, said preparation had commenced to move the few pilgrims that could not make it to Madinah on arrival to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Alhaji Maigari said they could not make it to Madinah because they arrived Saudi Arabia on the eve of the commencement of the Hajj rites, which necessitated moving them direct to Makkah from the Jeddah Airport.

He said the affected pilgrims are expected to be moved to Madinah between Wednesday and Thursday before they proceed to Jeddah for their homeward journey in coming days.

Alhaji Maigari, who was happy over the successful reception and hosting of all the Nigerian pilgrims that landed in Madinah first, before the Hajj, and without any major untoward incident, said all accommodation, feeding and transportation arrangements for the pilgrims yet to visit Madinah would be concluded for ease of reception and handling of their affairs on arrival at the Prophet City.

He regretted the atrocities of cheats, dupes and swindlers against the pilgrims in Madinah.

He said the most effective measure to tackle the problem is for a thorough education and enlightenment of the pilgrims right from Nigeria, adding that such responsibilities lie with State Pilgrims Welfare Boards and Agencies.

Maigari, who expressed his unhappiness over the conduct of some pilgrims boards and agencies that sent hundreds of their pilgrims on a flight without a single official escort to guide and handle some fundamental issues for them, said the attitude had been overstretching the few NAHCON staff on ground whose job is to provide complementary services.

Meanwhile, 2,737 Nigerian pilgrims from Lagos, Katsina, Oyo, Kogi, Zamfara, and Ogun States have been airlifted back to Nigeria with a total of six flights that took off from the King Abdulaziz International Airport Jeddah.

The return journey of about 65,000 Nigerian pilgrims who performed this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia started on Saturday, August 17, 2019.