NSCIA To Probe 2024 Hajj Operation, Awaits NAHCON Report

Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has expressed a desire to probe the conduct of the 2024 Hajj operation by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) following serious concerns raised by important stakeholders.

The apex Islamic body disclosed this in a communique signed by the secretary-general, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, after its Expanded General-Purpose Committee (EGPC) meeting held at the Conference Hall of the National Mosque, Abuja, on Saturday, July 6, 2024. The Council awaits the formal report on the exercise from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

NSCIA, while reiterating the need to establish an efficient communication channel between the government and the Council, as the highest representative body of the Muslim Ummah in the country, approved convening a National Hajj Summit to discuss the 2024 Hajj operation.

“In view of the serious concerns raised by some critical stakeholders on the conduct of Hajj 2024, the meeting resolved to await the formal report on the exercise from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON). The meeting also approved convening a National Hajj Summit to discuss the matter.

“The need was reiterated for establishing an efficient channel of communication between the Government and the NSCIA, as the highest representative body of the Muslim Ummah, in order to facilitate a better understanding of and consequently adequate support for government policies and programmes. A case in point was the misconstrued outstanding obligation of the Federal Government towards 2024 Hajj depositors for foreign exchange prior to the increase in the exchange rate to honour the obligation to which the government had been committed before the increase.

The honouring of such an obligation for which the Ummah was very grateful was misconstrued in some quarters as unwarranted favour to the Ummah,” NSCIA said.

Meanwhile, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria said it has so far transported 32, 836 pilgrims back to Nigeria out of some 65,000 Nigerians who performed the 2024 Hajj in Saudi Arabia through various states with 77 flights.

The commission, in a statement signed by an assistant director of public affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, said the figure represents 64 percent of pilgrims who have been airlifted back to the country after 16 days, compared to outboard movement into the Kingdom in the first phase, which was 60.2% when 30,599 pilgrims were transported at the time.

Usara named Bauchi, Kaduna, Osun, Lagos, Borno, Ogun, Benue, Armed Forces, Kogi, Nasarawa, Edo, Yobe, Plateau, and Oyo as states that have concluded airlift of their pilgrims back to Nigeria, while state like Kano, Ondo and FCT were expected to convey the last set of their pilgrims back to Nigeria yesterday, while Ekiti State hope to conclude its airlift by tomorrow, July 10.