The number of Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia for the 2023 hajj rituals has risen to 38, 994 following the arrival of 1,320 pilgrims from Kano, Lagos and Borno States in Madina yesterday.
The latest arrivals, comprising 714 males and 38,480 females, arrived on Max Air flight NGL3025 and Saudi Arabian Airlines, Flynas Flight XY5622 and Flynas Flight XY5698 which departed Kano, Lagos and Maiduguri at 06:44hrs, 10:19hrs and 14:26hrs respectively for Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Madinah.
According to the flight updates record from NAHCON’s command and control units, of the 38,994 Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, 23,082 pilgrims have moved to Makkah, performing ziyarat.
Pilgrims were first taken to Medina to observe the tradition of spending at least eight days, which has now been reduced to five days to avoid overcrowding of Nigerian pilgrims, observing obligatory prayers in the prophet’s holy mosque and visiting some Islamic holy sites in Madinah.
A further review of the update flight at NAHCON’s command and control unit revealed that airlift of pilgrims from Ogun, Oyo, Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa, Jigawa and Sokoto have been completed while Lagos, Kwara and others are on the verge to conclude the airlift just as Armed Forces, Kebbi and South South states are yet commence their airlift.
The 38, 994 pilgrims already in Saudi Arabia were airlifted to the in 92 flight operations while more are on the queue for onward journeys to the kingdom.
The transportation of pilgrims from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia for 2023 hajj began May 25 when former president Muhammadu Buhari, represented by the immediate past minister of state for foreign affairs, Zubairu Dada, flagged off the inaugural flight at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja with 472 pilgrims from Nasarawa State and 27 NAHCON officials on board.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has set a June 20 target to transport all prospective pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, six days before the closure of the Saudi airspace.
