Arafah: 25,000 Nigerian pilgrims now in Makkah

The Representative of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr Aliyu Tanko, says about 25,000 Nigerian pilgrims have been transported to Makkah in preparation for Hajj rituals which reached its peak on the Day of Arafah that holds on the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah, equivalent to Saturday, August […]

The Representative of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr Aliyu Tanko, says about 25,000 Nigerian pilgrims have been transported to Makkah in preparation for Hajj rituals which reached its peak on the Day of Arafah that holds on the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah, equivalent to Saturday, August 10, 2019.

Dr Tanko, who said this on Friday while fielding questions from journalists, stated that more pilgrims were on transit from Jeddah and Madinah to Makkah to 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).

He 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 said NAHCON only supervised the process involved in getting the hotels to ensure that they were secured at reasonable prices unlike in Madinah where NAHCON was exclusively responsible for the accommodation of all pilgrims.

The Makkah coordinator, 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 were brought to guide them in order to achieve acceptable Hajj.

“Pilgrims should know what to do at every point. They should know the dos and don’ts of Hajj,” he added.

He also warned the pilgrims against dealing with prohibited items in Saudi Arabia, saying they should know that all their activities were being monitored.

To cater for the health of the pilgrims, Dr Tanko said NAHCON established two major clinics and three sub-clinics in areas where the country had huge concentration of the guests of Allah in Makkah to prevent them from trekking for a long distance before getting care.